Game One Box l
Game Two Box
Monroe, La. – Eastern Illinois and ULM opened up their 2018 season with a doubleheader on Friday. ULM swept the doubleheader, picking up a pair of victories by scores of 4-3 and 7-6. EIU and ULM will complete their three-game series on Saturday with first pitch set for 4 p.m.
Eastern Illinois dropped to 0-2 to begin the year, while ULMÂ improved to 2-0 to open up the season.
Game One: ULM 4, Eastern Illinois 3 (10 innings)
ULM led majority of the opening game of Friday's doubleheader. However, the Panthers battled back taking the lead once, and tying the game twice forcing extra innings. ULM was able to hold off the Panthers with a walk-off single in the 10th.
ULM broke the shutout early in the second inning on a Peyton Lacoste single. The Panthers would answer back in the fourth inning when
Hunter Morris scored on a
Jimmy Huber single to right field. The Panthers would score in two straight innings to take the lead from the Warkhawks in the fifth inning.
Logan Beaman who doubled in the inning, would score off a Morris single.
In the bottom of the fifth the Warhawks would rally back to score two runs to grab the lead back from the Panthers. The inning kicked off with a Johnny DeLaCruz single to center. Braedon Barret would follow up with a one-out double. A Turner Francis sacrifice fly to right field would be all the Warhawks needed to score DeLacruz to tie the game at 2-2. Following the sacrifice fly, Barret would score on a passed ball to give ULM the lead.
The Panthers would fight back in the ninth inning tying the game for the second time.
Justin Smith started the comeback with a double to left field. Joe Duncan would keep the ninth inning rally alive singling to left field, which advanced Smith to third. Smith would score to force extra innings on a
Andrew Curran sacrifice. AÂ Beaman single gave the Panthers a shot at the lead, but Duncan would be thrown out at home by Francis.
ULM would take the opening game in the double-header in the 10th inning on a Lacoste walk-off single.
Alex Stevenson started on the mound for the Panthers and threw 4.1 innings allowing four hits and three runs while striking out four.
Michael Starcevich replaced Stevenson on the mound and pitched 4.2 scoreless innings surrendering only four hits.
Jake Haberer (0-1) suffered the loss on the mound for the Panthers.
Beaman finished the game 3-for-5 with a run. Huber and Smith both finished 2-for-3. Huber also had an RBI, and Smith had a run scored.
Game Two: ULM 7, Eastern Illinois 6
Eastern Illinois came out firing in the second game tallying four runs in the third inning. The fourth inning rally opened with a Stevenson walk. Following the Stevenson walk Huber drew a base on balls. ULM would surrender another walk to Duncan to load the bases. The Panthers would score their first run of the inning when Trey Jeans would give up his fourth walk in the inning.
Dougie Parks would clear the bases with a two-out double and three RBI.
ULM answered back in the bottom of the third inning scoring on a Barrett single to center.
In the fourth inning the Panthers were able to extend their lead on a Duncan single.
ULM was able to hold the Panthers scoreless from the fourth inning till the ninth to help fuel a comeback. In the bottom of the sixth the Warhawks were able to tack on two more runs from a Lacoste single, and a Joey Jordan groundout to cut the Panther lead to two.
EIU would score in the ninth on an error by Lacoste. However, ULM would fire back in the bottom of the ninth to secure the twin bill sweep. The ULM ninth inning comeback was ignited by Chad Bell's lead off double. Beaman would then surrender back to back walks to load the bases. The Warhawks would score their first of three runs in the inning on a Spencer Hemphill sacrifice fly to center. The Warhawks would once again end the game on a walk off single. Cade Harper hit the walk-off single to lift the Warhawks over the Panthers scoring Evian Benjamin and Barrett.
Carson Haws pitched 6.2 innings for the Panthers recording 11 strikeouts, surrendering 6 hits, 4 earned runs, and 3 walks.
Logan Beaman (0-1) suffered the loss on the mound for the Panthers.
Parks finished 1-for-2 with three RBIs,Stevenson went 1-for-3 with two runs, and Duncan finished 1-for-3 with both a run and RBI.
