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EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIU Edwardsville tied the game with a run in the bottom of the ninth and ended Eastern Illinois season with a run in the tenth during a 8-7 win over the Panthers on Saturday afternoon.
EIU finishes the regular season 13-36, 9-21 in the OVC. SIUE improved to 20-28 overall, 19-11 in the OVC. The Cougars will play in the six-team OVC Tournament next week in Jackson, Tenn.
Senior
Caleb Howell was 4-for-6 in the game as he finished the season hitting over .400 for the second straight year. He becomes the fourth Panther in school history to have two .400 seasons. Howell finished the season with a .407 average,
"It was a great game today. We came to win and had it won. One miscue when an outfielder slipped is not going to change how I feel about these guys," said EIU head coach
Jim Schmitz. "We had a very rough start to the season but played well in the second half. It says a lot about them and the coaching staff. We never stopped coaching or working. I'm very proud and thankful."
EIU had taken a 7-5 lead with four runs in the sixth inning.
Adam Casson had a two-run single while
Brant Valach and
Demetre Taylor each drove home a run. Those three players joined
Marshawn Taylor,
Jason Scholl and
Dane Sauer with two hits on the day for EIU.
Alec Saikel had a home run in the seventh to make it one run game and then had the game winning hit in the tenth off EIU relief pitcher
Chase Thurston (2-3). Saikel was 3-for-6. He drove home Denton Reed who reached on a walk and stole second base.
The Cougars tied the game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth on a base hit by Collin Book. Book was 3-for-4 with four RBI in the game. He had a two-run double in the fifth and RBI single in the second.
EIU scored early in the game with a
John Devito home run in the second. Howell drove home a run in the first.Ā
Ryan Agnitsch (3-3) pitched one inning of relief to pick up the win for SIUE.
