Game One Box |
Game Two Box |
CONWAY, Ark. – The Eastern Illinois baseball team continued their series at Central Arkansas with a doubleheader on Saturday. Central Arkansas bested the Panthers in both games of the twin bill, winning by scores of 6-1 and 8-1. The two teams will play the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.
With the pair of losses, EIU dropped to 0-6 on the season. Central Arkansas improved to 5-1 overall on the year.
Game One: UCA 6, EIU 1
Central Arkansas scored early in the opening game of the doubleheader and used the lead to propel them to a 6-1 to begin the day on Saturday.
Keaton Presley singled to lead off the bottom of the first in the opener and stole second to work his way into scoring position. After moving up an extra 90-feet on a groundout, Presley scored on a wild pitch to give the Bears a 1-0 advantage.
Central Arkansas extended their lead to 5-0 after scoring four runs on five hits in the bottom of the second inning.
The Panthers responded with a run in the top of the third.Â
Joseph Duncan started a two-out rally with a single to right and quickly stole second to move into scoring position. The move worked in favor for the Panthers as
Dane Toppel plated Duncan on the next play with an RBI single to right.
Central Arkansas took advantage of a pair of EIU errors in the bottom of the fourth inning to score the final run of the game and took the opener 6-1.
Michael McCormick took the loss for the Panthers as he fell to 0-1 on the year. McCormick allowed five earned runs in 5.2 innings pitched.
Jake Haberer tossed 2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen with three strikeouts.
Toppel finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate with one RBI to lead the EIU offense.
Game Two: UCA 8, EIU 1
A six-run second inning by Central Arkansas lifted the Bears to an 8-1 victory in the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader.
After Central Arkansas worked the bases loaded with just one away, an RBI single by Brooks Ballisterri plated the first run of the game. A walk brought home another run to give UCA a 2-0 advantage. Presley followed the walk with a two-run double down the left-field line. Central Arkansas scored two more runs in the inning to take a 6-0 lead over the Panthers.
Eastern Illinois tried to chip away at the Central Arkansas lead in the top of the third.
Justin Smith started a rally with a one-out single up the middle.
Andrew Curran snuck a bunt down the third base line for a single and moved Smith into scoring position. Duncan scored Smith on the next play with an RBI single to left.
Central Arkansas scored a run in the bottom of the third and another in the bottom of the seventh to complete the doubleheader sweep.
Dustin Wilson (0-2) earned the loss on the mound for the Panthers, allowing seven runs in 4.1 innings pitched.
Chase Thurston had a solid outing out of the bullpen, as the senior only allowed one run in 3.1 innings pitched.
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