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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois baseball built an early lead and pulled away with six runs in the sixth inning as the Panthers won a 15-3 non-conference game over Benedictine University of Springfield at Coaches Stadium.   EIU caps its season long seven-game home stand on Wednesday with a 3 p.m. game against Illinois College.
 
EIU scored two runs in the first with a sacrifice fly by Caleb Howell and RBI double by Brant Valach as the heart of the Panthers line-up drove in eight of the 15 runs for EIU.
 
Benedictine, a school that will discontinue its athletic program after this season, tied the game in the top of the second as Nolan Aherin hit a two-run single to left with the bases loaded.   EIU starter Andrew Grahn (1-0) struck out Drew Johnson to leave the bases loaded.  Grahn would work five innings to pick up his first win of the season.  Benedictine scored its other run in the third inning as a Edwin Covas sacrifice fly scored Blake Gand.
 
The Panthers moved back in front in the bottom of the second as Bobby Wenthe led off the inning with a homer.  Marshawn Taylor would drive home the second run with a single to right.  EIU added three runs in the fourth with Wenthe scoring on a balk before Joseph Duncan and Howell drove in runs.
 
Howell's RBI double in the sixth tied the senior for the school hits record with 260.  Howell was hit by a pitch in his final at-bat of the game as he finished 2-for-3.
 
Demetre Taylor provided the big blast in the sixth with a grand slam as he was 2-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to ten games.  Wenthe finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and Dane Sauer was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
 
Chase Thurston and Matt Doherty each pitched two shutout innings to close the game for EIU.  Cody Bolen (2-5) pitched two innings allowing three earned runs as he was tagged with the loss for Benedictine.