BOX (PDF)  |  BOX (HTML)

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Panther baseball team dropped its second game of the Ohio Valley Conference series at Tennessee Tech, 5-2, on Saturday afternoon. EIU dropped to 12-20 overall and 3-10 in conference play.
 
Joe Greenfield (1-4) took the loss for the Panthers, striking out three while only allowing five runs (four earned) in eight innings of play. The Orland Park, Ill., native recorded his second complete game of the season, totaling 117 pitches on the day.
 
“Joe pitched a great game for us today,” said Eastern Illinois head coach Jim Schmitz. “Unfortunately, we did not get the key hits we needed with runners on base.”
 
The Golden Eagles (25-10, 14-3 OVC) had four more hits (12-8) than EIU and left one less runner on base (8-7). EIU had one error in the contest.
 
Austin Wulf hit an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning to give TTU an early 1-0 lead before a Nick Priessman RBI single in the top of the third knotted the game at one.
 
The Golden Eagles scored four more runs over the next two innings to take a 5-1 advantage. Treysen Vavra hit a two-out, solo home run in the fifth inning to cut the Panthers deficit to three (5-2), but EIU couldn't complete the comeback as they dropped their second consecutive game in the series.
 
Vavra finished the day going 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs for EIU. Caleb Howell and Priessman both added two hits in the loss.
 
Wulf finished the day going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run to pace the Golden Eagles at the plate while James Abraham and Brandon Thomasson both went 2-for-4 with a run.
 
Ross Spurgeon (2-1) earned the win for TTU, surrendering two runs and seven hits in six innings of work. Seth Lucio retired the final three EIU batters with one strikeout to post his seventh save of the season.
 
The series finale between the two schools is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 14.