The Eastern Illinois baseball team kicked of their series doubleheader against Western Kentucky on Sunday. Eastern Illinois fell short by one run in both games of the double header on Sunday.
Game One: Western Kentucky 10, Eastern Illinois 9 (10 innings)
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The Panthers came out aggressive in the top of the first inning scoring a quick two runs.
Dane Toppel led off the inning with a single to right field.
Alex Stevenson followed up drawing a walk.
Hunter Morris would move the two into scoring position with a ground out to second. The Panthers were able to score their first run of the inning on a
Jimmy Govern sacrifice fly.
Ryan Knernschield extended the lead with an RBI single to left field.
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Stevenson was able to extend the lead to 3-0 in the top of the second with an RBI single to left center.
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The Panthers were able to score in their third straight inning adding two more runs in the top of the third inning. Knernschield drew a walk to get the rally started.
Matt Mackey would reach on an error to give the Panthers runners at first and second.
Wyell Woods drove in the first run of the inning with an RBI single to left field.
Garyn Stewart walked to give EIU the bases loaded with two outs. Toppel would drive in the second run of the inning with a bases loaded walk.
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Western Kentucky was able to get on the board in the bottom of the third when Ray Zuberer would drive in Kevin Lambert with an RBI single to center.
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WKU was able to put together a five run fourth inning to put the pressure on EIU. Jack Wilson kicked off the bottom of the fourth with a lead off single up the middle. Sam McElreath would reach on an error to give Western Kentucky runners at first and second. Lambert would draw a walk to load the bases. Dillon Nelson would hit a two run double down the left field line to cut the Panther lead to two runs. Zuberer would ground out to second to drive in Lambert for the fourth run of the inning. Davis Sims would drive the fifth run of the inning on a single to left field.
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Stevenson would give the Panthers a 6-5 lead with an RBI single to right field.
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Western Kentucky was able to take the lead for the first time in the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jake Sanford tied the game up with an RBI single up the middle, while Wilson hit a base clearing three run double down the right field line to give Western Kentucky a 9-6 lead.
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Govern would hit a two run single to left field to cut the WKU lead to 9-8. The Panthers would tie the game in the top of the eighth when
Keith Kerrigan would hit a sacrifice bunt to score
Grant Emme.
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Western Kentucky was able to walk off in the bottom of the tenth on a balk to win 10-9.
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Game Two: Western Kentucky 5 , Eastern Illinois 4
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Western Kentucky broke out to an early two run lead in the bottom of the first inning. Sanford gave WKU their first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to left center. Later in the inning Zuberer stole home to give Western Kentucky a two run lead.
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Kerrigan was able to get the Panthers on the board in the top of the second with an RBI single to center.
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The Panthers were able to grab the lead from Western Kentucky with a three run third inning. Topel kicked off the inning with a lead off single up the middle. Govern followed suit with a single to left field. Mackey drove in Toppel with an RBI single to left field.
Jimmy Huber followed up with an RBI double to right field to score Govern. Knernschield would keep the rally alive with an RBI single up the middle.
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Western Kentucky was able to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth on a Matt Phipps sacrifice fly to right field.
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Western Kentucky defeated Eastern Illinois 5-4 in game two.