Box ScoreCHARLESTON, Ill. – The Eastern Illinois baseball team struggled defensively as Tennessee Tech took advantage of four Panthers' errors scoring five unearned runs en route to an 8-3 win in the series opener at Coaches Stadium on Friday. A change in the schedule between the two teams will be played as a doubleheader tomorrow instead of a single game on Saturday and Sunday with the first contest set to begin at 12 p.m.
Following the loss, EIU holds a record of 1-9 in the OVC and 5-24 overall. TTU moves to 7-6 in conference games and 16-12 overall.
The defensive mistakes began for the Panthers in the first inning. With two outs, TTU had a runner reach base on a Panther error. A hit and a walk loaded the bases for the Golden Eagles. TTU brought home the first run of the game on an RBI single by Kevin Strohschein. The Panthers got out of the inning with no further damage as a strong throw by Frankie Perone in right caught a TTU runner trying to advance home on the Strohschein hit.
David Garza started the second inning with a lead-off double for Tennessee Tech. A groundout moved Garza up to third base. A passed ball allowed Garza to move up the final 90 feet and put the Golden Eagles ahead 2-0.
The Panthers cut into the Golden Eagles' lead with a Perrone lead-off home run over the left field wall in the bottom half of the inning.
The Panthers manufactured a run in the bottom of the third inning to tie the score at 2-2 large in part to some heads-up base running by
Joseph Duncan. Duncan reached first with a perfectly placed bunt single down the third base line. Duncan quickly moved into scoring position after stealing second base. TTU tried throwing behind Duncan, but an errant throw by the TTU catcher sailed into center field and allowed Duncan to move up to third. A
Jason Scholl RBI groundout brought home Duncan.
TTU worked a lead-off walk to Alex Junior to start the top of the fifth inning. The Panthers attempted to double-up Junior on a lineout in the infield, but a throw wide of the bag at first allowed Farr to move up to second. Matt Jones hit an RBI single up the middle to give TTU a 3-2 lead. Another single put runners on the corners for the Golden Eagles, as Ryan Flick grounded out on the next play to plate another run to put TTU ahead 4-2.
A three-base error on a groundball in the infield started a rally for Tennessee Tech. With runners on the corners, TTU scored another run on a fielder's choice. Jones provided the Golden Eagles with a two-run blast over the wall in left center to extend the TTU lead to 7-2.
The Panthers saw a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the seventh with runners on first and third following back-to-back singles by Duncan and
Nick Maton. Once again Scholl drove in Duncan, this time with a sacrifice fly to center.
TTU got a run back in the top of the eighth inning with a sacrifice fly by Chris Brown into left field, and scored the final run of the game for either team as the Golden Eagles took the series opener 8-3.
Michael McCormick suffered the loss on the mound for the Panthers going 5.2 innings, surrendering seven runs with only two being earned.
Duncan, Perrone, and
Mitch Gasbarro were the only Panthers to record two hits in the game.
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