MANHATTAN, Kan. - Eastern Illinois (7-5) defeated Kansas State (6-4), 14-7 on Sunday afternoon to collect the series win. With this win,
Jason Anderson secured his 100th victory as the head coach of the Panthers.
Dane Toppel notched his first collegiate home run to guarantee a Panthers win.
Cameron Doherty was awarded the win after pitching four scoreless innings and recording a strikeout. The Panthers host Bellarmine for a Tuesday afternoon game on Mar. 9, at 2:30 p.m.
QUICK HITS
- The Panthers win their first series over a power five team since 1985 when they defeated Purdue in three of four games.
- Hayden Birdsong started, pitched four innings, and struck out four batters.
- Cameron Doherty entered in relief and was awarded the victory after pitching four scoreless innings.
- Lucas DiLuca went 5-6 from the plate, recorded a double, three RBI, and a run.
- Logan Eickhoff went 2-5 from the plate, recorded a run, a stolen base, and an RBI.
- Trey Sweeney hit a two-run homer and drew a walk.
- Christian Pena hit his first home run of the season to start the rally.
- Keith Kerrigan went 2-5 from the plate and recorded three runs.
- Tarron Lawson went 1-3 with a walk and recorded three runs.
- Dane Toppel went 4-5 at the dish, recorded a double, four RBI, and his first home run with EIU.
GAME THREEÂ
The Panthers struck first in the second inning. Lawson managed a hit into center field to give the Panthers their first base runner of the inning. Toppel started his monumental day with a single to center to advance Lawson to second. DiLuca followed by reaching on an error that scored Lawson to put the Panthers up early. Toppel scored on a DiLuca steal attempt to put EIU up 2-1.
In the third, Kansas State managed back-to-back home runs off Birdsong and recaptured the lead heading into the fourth.
K-State continued to apply pressure in the fifth inning.
Mitch Alba entered in relief but struggled against the Wildcats. Alba walked his first batter, allowed a homer, and walked another.
Nick Laxner relieved Alba but was unable to stop the hot bats of K-State. The Wildcats had scored four runs in the inning to hold a 7-2 lead.
The Panthers scored again in the sixth inning, started from a Kerrigan single. Lawson was next up to bat as he reached on a fielding error that scored Kerrigan. Toppel followed with a single, and DiLuca singled to score Lawson. The rally continued with an Eickhoff hit to the third baseman that loaded the bases, but EIU was unable to capitalize. The Panthers had pulled back to 7-4 heading into the seventh.
Pena started the seventh inning with a bang, hitting a moonshot to left-field. Kerrigan reached on an error, followed by a Lawson walk that brought up Toppel. Toppel ripped a double to left-center to score Kerrigan and pull the Panthers within one. DiLuca singled and reached second on a fielding error that brought Lawson and Toppel home and claimed the lead. Eickhoff followed that with a single of his own to score DiLuca and bring up the big bat of Sweeney. Sweeney smoked the second home run of the inning past the fence to give the Panthers an 11-7 lead.
The Panthers stayed hot in the eighth inning, as Kerrigan and
Gunner Smith both notched singles to bring up the fiery bat of Toppel. Toppel found his pitch and turned on it to put it over the left-field wall, his first home run as a Panther. The Panthers had mounted the comeback and were successful, with a massive 14-7 victory to take the series.Â
ON DECK
The Panthers will face Bellarmine on Tuesday, Mar. 9, at 2:30
