Box Score |
CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois baseball rallied from behind, scoring five runs between the final two inning, and earned an 11-9 win over Eastern Kentucky to complete the series sweep against the Colonels on Sunday.
Eastern Illinois improved their winning streak to six games and now stands at 13-27 (7-11 OVC). Eastern Kentucky dropped to 21-19 (7-11 OVC) following the loss.
Eastern Illinois did not waste any time to get things going as
Joseph Duncan led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single and came around to score on a two-run home run by
Jimmy Govern that put the Panthers ahead, 2-0.
Andrew Curran started an EIU rally in the bottom of the second as he got hit by a pitch prior to a
Frankie Perrone walk to put runners on first and second. Duncan blasted a three-run home run later in the inning to score both Curran and Perrone and extended the EIU lead to 5-0.
Eastern Kentucky tied the score at five with three runs in the third, one in the fourth and one more run in the fifth. The Panthers responded with a two-out rally in the bottom-half of the fifth.
Dougie Parks got hit by a pitch to start the rally and advanced to second on a balk. Eastern Illinois regained the lead, 6-5, following a
Matt Albert RBI single.
Ryland Kerr got the Colonels going again in the top of the sixth with a lead-off single and advanced to third following a sacrifice bunt and a balk. Shae Sullivan tied the score at six on a sacrifice fly. Ben Fisher followed the sacrifice fly with a single to right and moved up to second on a walk by Alex Holderbach. After a passed ball moved the runners up to second and third, Nick Howie scored the pair with a two-run single and gave the Colonels an 8-6 advantage.
Eastern Kentucky added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on a Matt Olive solo home run, but the Panthers worked their way back into the game in the bottom-half of the inning. A bunt single by
Justin Smith and an EKU error put two runners on for Govern. Govern tied the game at nine with a three-run home run to center.
Back-to-back walks by Curran and Perrone put the Panthers in business in the eighth inning. Duncan provided the Panthers with the go-ahead run as he knocked an RBI single to plate Curran. Govern scored Perrone on the next play to extend the EIU lead to 11-9. The two-run advantage was all
Michael Starcevich would need as he shut down the Colonels in the ninth and sealed the victory for the Panthers.
Starcevich allowed just one run over three innings of relief to earn his third win of the season.
Duncan and Govern continued to lead the EIU offense as the pair recorded three hits each. Beaman added two hits for the Panthers in the series finale.
Eastern Illinois will complete their six-game home stand with a pair of midweek games. The Panthers will host Indiana State on Tuesday and Saint Louis on Wednesday. Both games will start at 3 p.m. at Coaches Stadium.
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