Box Score |
MOREHEAD, Ky. – Eastern Illinois and Morehead State put on an offensive showcase as the two teams combined for 31 runs in the series finale on Sunday, but it was the Eagles who earned the victory in the end, winning by a score of 16-15 in 10 innings.
Eastern Illinois dropped to 16-29 (9-12 OVC) following the loss. Morehead State improved their record to 28-16 (13-7 OVC) with the win.
For the first time all series, Morehead State broke the scoring column first in a game, as the Eagles jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the opening frame in the series finale.
Eastern Illinois got a run back in the top of the second on a lead-off home run by
Matt Albert, but Morehead State responded in the bottom-half of the inning. With the bases loaded, Morehead State grounded into a double play, but added a run on the play. A walk followed the double play to extend the inning for the Eagles. Morehead State took advantage of the second EIU error of the inning with another run and extended their lead to 6-1 after two innings.
Albert got the Panthers started once again in the top of the fourth with a one-out double.
Josh Turnock drove in Albert with an RBI single and trimmed the deficit to 6-2.
The Panthers continued to chip away at the Morehead State lead during the middle innings as
Frankie Perrone started the fifth with a lead-off solo home run.
Joseph Duncan followed later in the inning with a one-out double and came around to score on an RBI groundout by
Jimmy Govern. Eli Boggess got a run back for Morehead State in the bottom-half of the inning with a solo shot that cleared the fence in right-center field that moved the score to 7-4 in favor of the Eagles.
The Morehead State advantage remained at three runs after the sixth as Eastern Illinois got a run on an RBI single by
Andrew Curran in the top of the inning, while Morehead State answered in the bottom with an RBI single of their own by Reid Leonard.
The back-and-forth game continued into the seventh as
Logan Beaman and
Dougie Parks started a two-out rally with a single and a double to put runners on second and third. Albert drove home Beaman with an RBI single to cut the score to 8-6.
After loading up the bases in the bottom of the seventh, Leonard cleared the bags with a three-run double to extend the Morehead State lead to 11-6.
Eastern Illinois responded with back-to-back walks to start the eighth inning to put the Panthers in business. Perrone doubled the two Panthers home and later scored on an RBI single by
Hunter Beetley. Eastern Illinois then leveled the score at 11-11 on a two-run home run by Duncan.
Morehead State appeared as if they would put the game with three runs in the bottom of the eighth, but the Panthers would not go away easy in the ninth. Turnock and Curran started the inning with back-to-back singles prior to a groundout that advanced the pair to second and third.
Matt Dunavant brought home the first run in the inning with an RBI groundout. Duncan followed the groundout with a walk to give the Panthers runners on the corners. Duncan stole second and drew a throw by the Morehead State catcher. The throw sailed wide into center field and allowed Curran to scamper home and Duncan to move up to third. Govern stepped up to the plate and blasted a two-run home run to left and gave the Panthers their first lead of the game at 15-14.
Niko Hulsizer knotted the score at 15 with a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth and sent the game into extras.
After holding the Panthers scoreless in the top-half of the 10th inning, Hunter Fain knocked a one-out double to give the Eagles a runner in scoring position in the bottom-half of the inning. Brody Shoupe came on as a pinch runner for the Eagles and came around to score the game-winning run on a walk-off RBI double by Ryan Kent.
Michael Starcevich suffered the loss on the mound for the Panthers, allowing two runs in 1.1 innings of relief.
Albert and Beaman led the way for the EIU offense as the pair collected three hits each. Duncan, Govern, Turnock, Curran and Perrone all added two hits each in the contest.
Eastern Illinois will return to action next weekend as the Panthers host UT Martin in a three-game OVC series at Coaches Stadium.Â
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