Box Score (Game One) |
Photo Gallery (by
Sandy King)
CHARLESTON, Ill. – The Eastern Illinois baseball team returned home to Coaches Stadium for the first time after opening up the 2017 season with 19 straight road games with an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader against Murray State on Friday. The Racers spoiled the Panthers' home opener and stole a 10-8 win over Eastern Illinois in the opening game of the twin bill. The nightcap was suspended due to darkness with the Panthers leading 10-9 in the eighth inning.
Weather permitting, Eastern Illinois and Murray State will complete the suspended game on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and play the third and final game of the series approximately 30 minutes following the conclusion of the first contest.
With the series-opening loss, Eastern Illinois dropped to 2-18 (1-3 OVC), while Murray State improved to 13-8 (4-3 OVC).
The Panthers did not waste any time in their home opener and scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning. Eastern Illinois worked three walks in the inning before
Matt Albert put the Panthers ahead, 1-0, on an RBI sacrifice fly to score
Nicholas McCormick.
The bats came alive again for the Panthers in the bottom of the third inning.
Joseph Duncan,
Logan Beaman and
Dougie Parks all singled to load the bases for Albert. Albert continued the hit parade with a two-run single. After a single by
Frankie Perrone loaded the bases again,
Tyler Tesmond laced an RBI single of his one. The Panthers finished the inning with an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of
Justin Smith and a two-run single from Duncan to extend the Panthers' lead to 7-0.
Murray State responded with a five-run sixth inning. With runners on second and third, Tyler Lawrence gave the Racers their first two runs of the game on a double to left. Kipp Moore and Jack Hranec produced an RBI single each for Murray State later in the inning. The Racers added another run on a sacrifice fly and trimmed the deficit to 7-5.
Brandon Gutzler pulled Murray State within one run with a two-out RBI double in the top of the ninth. The Racers earned three straight walks as the final free pass brought home the game-tying run. Davis Sims put the Racers ahead, 10-7, with a three-run double to left.
Perrone knocked a two-out double and later came around to score on an RBI single from
Matt Dunavant, but that would be as close as the Panthers would get as Murray State ended the Eastern Illinois threat with a groundout.
Five Panthers – Duncan, McCormick, Parks, Perrone and Tesmond – all finished the game with two hits.
Brent Stephens suffered the loss on the mound for the Panthers.Â
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