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MANHATTAN, Kan. - Eastern Illinois (6-5) defeated the Kansas State Wildcats (6-3), 6-5, for the first time in the program's history on Saturday afternoon. A pair of homers by Ben Snapp and Dalton Doyle thrust the Panthers ahead of the Wildcats and sealed a historic win. Trevor Nicholson was awarded the win after pitching five innings, allowing one hit, four walks, three earned runs, and seven strikeouts. Stevenson entered in relief, closing the door on the Wildcat's chances. The Panthers move to 6-5 on the season with the chance of taking the weekend series in Sunday's final game.

QUICK HITS

• Lucas DiLuca went 1-3 at the plate, recorded a run, and managed a walk.
• Trey Sweeney went 1-4 from the plate, recorded two RBI, one runs, and stole a base.
• Christian Pena went 1-4 and notched an RBI.
• Dalton Doyle went 1-4 from the plate and recorded a solo home run.
• Chase Rademacher went 1-3 from the plate and recorded a run and a walk.
• Ben Snapp went 2-4 in the batters' box, recorded two RBI, and hit his first home run of the season and his EIU career.
• Dane Toppel reached on an error, recorded a run, and recorded a stolen base.

GAME TWO
Trevor Nicholson came out dealing in the first few innings of play for the Panthers. In the first four innings, the lefty had allowed no hits and no runs to give the Panthers the perfect recipe for their potent offense to capture an early lead. 

The offense was able to get the offense started at the top of the third, as Rademacher started the inning with a single past second base. Snapp entered the box and battled. Snapp hit the ball past the fences after a nine-pitch-at-bat. After Snapp had touched them all, the Panthers were up 2-0 with three outs remaining. Toppel reached on an error and promptly stole second base to put the Panthers in scoring position again. Sweeney pulled a shot to right-field to score Toppel. The Panthers ended the third with a 3-0 lead.

In the fourth inning, Doyle started the rally with a longshot to left-center to add to EIU's lead. With that homer, Doyle is now tied with Sweeney for the most (2) home runs this season for the Panthers. 

DiLuca managed a single in the fifth inning to put speed on the bags with one out. Eickhoff reached on a throwing error from Kansas State, and DiLuca raced to third. Sweeney reached on a fielder's choice that put Eickhoff out at second but scored DiLuca in the process. Sweeney stole second, followed by a Pena single into left field, which scored the Panthers shortstop. EIU led the Wildcats, 6-0.

Nicholson walked two Wildcats in the top of the fifth and allowed a blast to left-center. Nicholson walked one more but got out of the jam after a strikeout and foul out. The Panthers held the 6-3 lead going into the sixth.

Stevenson entered for Nicholson in the sixth inning. The veteran senior allowed two singles in his first two batters faced. He had runners at the corners, and a flyout to center field scored the runner at third. Stevenson locked in and got out of the jam to only allow the one run. Panthers still led, 6-4.

Another flyout after a pair of hits chipped away at the Panthers' lead in the seventh, but Stevenson continued to work and stayed focused as K-State threatened. In the eighth inning, Stevenson mowed the lineup down, striking out the side in 14 pitches. The ninth saw more of the same from the Panthers closer, as he allowed one hit, but followed by striking out three in a row and sealing his second save of the season.