Box ScoreMURRAY, Ky. – After scoring a combined 42 runs the game before, Eastern Illinois and Murray State faced a much different case in the series finale. Where runs appeared to be hard to come by in the early innings, the Panthers rallied for six runs in the final three frames to pick up a 9-3 win on Sunday. The Panthers will be back in action again on Tuesday with a trip to Illinois.
Eastern Illinois picked up their first win of the season in OVC play, moving to 1-8 in league games (5-22 overall). Murray State, who was looking to get back to .500 in league games, falls to 5-7 in the OVC (14-17 overall).
Murray State took advantage of an Eastern Illinois error in the bottom of the second inning, and struck first in the scoring column. Caleb Hicks singled out to left to start the inning for the home team. After a failed pickoff attempt by Eastern Illinois starter
Brendon Allen, Hicks moved up to third on the error. The error benefited the Racers as Jack Hranec drove in the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly out to left.
After a scoreless third inning for both teams, the Panthers finally broke into the scoring column in the fourth inning.
Jason Scholl caught the Murray State defense on their heels as he bunted his way on for an infield single. With two outs in the inning, the Panthers started their rally.
Cale Hennemann singled into right to put runners on first and second for EIU.
Frankie Perrone drove in Scholl with a single of his own to right, but with some smart base running, moved into scoring position on the attempt home by the Murray State right fielder to try to get Scholl at the plate. The base running by Perrone worked out in the Panthers' favor as
Mitch Gasbarro singled into right center and brought home two runs to give EIU a 3-1 lead.
Murray State struck again in the bottom of the fifth Tyler Dixon hit a solo shot over the left field wall.
The Panthers got a run back in the top of the seventh via a
Matt Dunavant solo home run that cleared the left field fence.
Andy Fisher came on for Allen in the bottom of the seventh, as the Racers cut into the Panthers' lead on the lefty. With runners on the corners and two outs in the inning, Jaron Robinson singled through the left side of the infield to bring home a run and cut the lead to 4-3.
It was the Panthers who took advantage of a Murray State error to add another run in the top of the eighth.
Nick Maton led off the inning with a walk. Scholl laid down a bunt to move Maton up, but a Murray State error allowed both runners to reach safely. Hennemann brought home Maton with a single to center and move the score to 5-3.
The Panthers gathered themselves a comfortable lead due to a four-run ninth inning. After
Hunter Morris doubled to lead-off the inning, he was cut down on a fielder's choice that allowed
Joseph Duncan to reach first. Maton singled to put runners on first and second for the Panthers. Scholl followed with a single of his own to bring in the first run of the inning. A groundout moved runners to second and third for the Panthers, which caused Murray State to intentionally walk Hennemann to set up a force out. The plan backfired for Murray State, as Perrone roped a double into the left center gap to clear the bases and score three runs.
Fisher got the first two batters out in the bottom of the ninth, but allowed a two-out single. The hit did not phase Fisher as he had a large lead, and got the next Murray State batter to groundout to seal the 9-3 victory, as the lefty picked up his second save of the season.
Allen picked up his first win of the season for the Panthers. In his six innings of work, he allowed just two runs (one earned), on three hits, two walks, and six strikeouts.
Perrone, Scholl, Hennemann, and Maton all finished with two hits each on the day, as Perrone led the way with four RBI.
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