GAME ONE
Pena started the Panthers off in the top of the second inning with a lead-off solo homer. Eastern Illinois struck again in the fourth inning, starting from a double from Doyle. Lawson entered as a pinch hitter and shot the second pitch he saw up the middle to score Doyle and add to the Panthers lead.
The Panthers' best offensive inning came in the fifth, as
Trey Sweeney started a two-out rally with a walk. Knernschield drew a walk as well, which then put Pena in the box to add to his RBI total. He singled into right to score Sweeney, giving the first baseman his second RBI in the game. The Panthers scored another in the inning off a wild pitch-throwing error combination that gave EIU a 4-0 lead.
The Eagles came alive in the seventh inning, scoring seven runs and securing the win in the first game of the series, 7-4.
Alex Stevenson was awarded the loss in game one.
GAME TWO
Morehead State took the lead early in game two of the series, as the Eagles loaded the bases with no outs in the inning. The Eagles put three on the board early.
Doyle started the second with a single, which was followed by
Ryan Ignoffo. In his first start of the season, he knocked a home run to right-center field to chip away at the lead. Eagles led 3-2.
Morehead State added three more runs before the Panthers could add to their run total. Lawson started the Panthers with a bloop single into shallow right. With two outs,
Dane Toppel cracked an RBI double into right-center. Sweeney drew an intentional walk, and Knernschield ricocheted a single off the pitcher to load the bases for Pena. Pena drew a four-pitch RBI walk. The Panthers then scored once more in the frame off a wild pitch that allowed Sweeney to cross home to put the Eagles lead at 6-5.
The Panthers tied the game in the sixth only to have the Eagles take the lead in the bottom frame. The Panther offense kept the line moving during the top of the seventh. Ignoffo singled to lead off the inning, but the following two Panthers struck out, leaving
Lucas DiLuca at the plate with two outs and a runner on first. He started the rally with an infield single, followed by a Toppel infield single of his own. Sweeney smoked a single into left field to score two and take the lead. Knernschield kept the line moving with an RBI single into left field. The Panthers took the lead 9-7.
Ignoffo entered as the pitcher to relieve Hampton in the bottom of the seventh, striking out two and allowing no runs.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Eagles loaded the bases and brought in a lefty to pinch-hit against Ignoffo. Jon Burghardt of Morehead State took the first pitch he saw deep, as the Eagles won 11-9 in walk-off fashion.
