Game One Box |
Game Two Box |
Photo Gallery (by
Sandy King)
CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois needed just one more win in their final two games against Austin Peay, but the Panthers suffered a pair of tough losses on Senior Day at Coaches Stadium. Austin Peay earned a 9-6 decision in the conclusion of the suspended game before earning a 7-5 comeback win in the series finale.
The Panthers ended the regular season at 21-35 (12-18 OVC), while Austin Peay improved their record to 26-28 (13-16 OVC) and clinched a spot in the OVC Tournament next week.
Prior to the start of the day, Eastern Illinois baseball honored five seniors –
Brendon Allen,
Alex Cain,
Matt Dunavant,
Michael McCormick and
Chase Thurston – as part of their "Senior Day" celebration.
Game One: Austin Peay 9, Eastern Illinois 6 – 10 innings (suspended game)
Imani Willis gave the Governors a 9-6 lead in the 10th inning on Thursday with a three-run home run prior to the game being suspended due to lightning and darkness. The two teams resumed the game on Friday, with Austin Peay shutting down the Panthers in order, to earn the victory.
The Panthers broke the scoring column first to open the game in the bottom of the first inning as
Joseph Duncan doubled to left center and advanced to third on a groundout.
Logan Beaman brought home Duncan with an RBI groundout and gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
After Austin Peay overtook the lead with two runs in the top of the second, Eastern Illinois knotted the score at two in the bottom-half of the inning on a solo home run by
Frankie Perrone.
A two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth inning gave the Panthers the lead once again.
Hunter Beetley and
Andrew Curran worked back-to-back walks as the pair moved up an extra base on a wild pitch.
Jimmy Govern brought the two base runners home with a single to right center as the Panthers moved ahead, 4-2.
After tying the game with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth, Austin Peay took the lead once again in the top of the seventh inning. The Governors loaded the bases in the inning with a one-out single and a pair of walks. A wild pitch brought home the first run in the inning as Alex Robles followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Governors a 6-4 lead.
The Panthers pulled within a run at 6-5 in the bottom of the seventh as Curran singled to lead off the inning. A sacrifice bunt by Duncan moved Curran into scoring position at second base. Govern found a hole in the Austin Peay infield and singled home Curran.
Eastern Illinois took advantage of an Austin Peay error to begin the ninth as
Dougie Parks followed the miscue with a double down the left-field line to put runners at second and third for the Panthers. An intentional walk loaded the bases for Eastern Illinois. Austin Peay got the next two batters to groundout and strikeout while preventing a run from scoring. Eastern Illinois was down to their last strike in the game, but Beetley got drilled by a pitch with the bases loaded to tie the score at six and sent the game into extras.
With two outs and two runners on, Willis belted the eventual game-winning home run in the top of the ninth as the Governors took the 9-6 decision.
Alex Stevenson took the loss on the mound, allowing one run in two and two-thirds innings pitched.
Duncan and Perrone finished the game with three hits each to lead the Panthers on offense. Govern, Parks and Curran added two hits each.
Game Two: Austin Peay 7, Eastern Illinois 5
Eastern Illinois led the entire game until Austin Peay scored five times between the final two innings and earned a 7-5 win over the Panthers in the rubber game of the series.
Duncan acted as a spark plug for the Panthers as he tripled to start the bottom of the first in the series finale. A sacrifice fly by Govern brought home Duncan and gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
Matt Albert got the Panthers started again with a lead-off single in the bottom of the second.
Josh Turnock moved Albert into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Perrone followed with an RBI single to center to extend the EIU advantage to 2-0.
After Austin Peay cut the deficit in half in the top of the third, Eastern Illinois got the run back in the bottom of the fourth. Just like the second inning, the same situation occurred the fourth for the Panthers. Albert singled to start the inning and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Turnock. Perrone came through with another RBI single to plate Albert and moved the score to 3-1 in favor of the Panthers.
Both teams put up a single tally in the sixth inning as the Governors got their run on a sacrifice fly by Chase Hamilton, while the Panthers got theirs on a solo home run by Parks.
Eastern Illinois added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh on a solo home run by Govern that moved the score to 5-2 in favor of the Panthers.
Austin Peay rallied back to tie the game in the top of the eighth inning. With runners on second and third and one out in the inning, Robles belted a ball over the wall in left-center field that knotted the score at five.
The Governors carried their momentum from the eighth inning into the ninth and took their first lead of the game. A pair of singles sandwiched a walk to start the inning as the Governors worked the bases loaded against the EIU bullpen. Cayce Breadlau doubled to the wall in center that brought home a pair of runs and gave the Governors a 7-5 lead.
Austin Peay shut down the Panthers in order in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the 7-5 victory.
Michael Starcevich suffered the loss on the mound, allowing the two runs in the top of the ninth.
Albert finished the game 3-for-3 at the dish for the Panthers, while Govern and Perrone chipped in two hits each.
Turnock tied an NCAA record with four sacrifice bunts in the game. The record has only occurred four times with the last occurring in the 2009 season by Joe Scott of Cal State Fullerton.
Due to Eastern Kentucky losing to Southeast Missouri tonight, Eastern Illinois was eliminated from playoff contention. The Panthers end their season at 21-35 overall and 12-18 in the OVC.
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