EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Eastern Illinois (20-19, 10-12 OVC) clinched the series opener 4-3 in ten innings against SIUE (19-18, 9-10 OVC). The Panthers grabbed their 20th win of the season in odd fashion, as a wild pitch strikeout scored
Logan Eickhoff to give the Panthers' the game-winning run.
QUICK HITS
- Sean Lynch Jr. hit his first collegiate homer in the top of the fourth inning.
- Ryan Knernschield went 2-3 at the dish, accounted for a run, and drew two walks.
- Tarron Lawson went 3-5 at the plate, accounted for a run, and recorded an RBI.
- Alex Stevenson was awarded the win (3-3), pitched 4.1 innings, allowed on hit, and no runs.
GAME ONE
The Panthers gathered an early 1-0 lead after a Lawson single to score Knernschield in the third inning. Lynch Jr. followed with a solo-deep-fly to add insurance in the fourth.
A two-out rally came in the fifth started from a Lawson single that was followed by a
Gunner Smith double to add to the lead, 3-0.
Cameron Doherty was holding the Cougars to a shutout until the sixth inning. The Cougars sparked a two-out rally of their own, singling four times and drawing two walks to add three runs. Stevenson entered in relief and ended the inning with a pop-up with his first pitch. The Cougars tied the Panthers, 3-3.
The two teams headed to extras after the previous three innings went scoreless.
The Panthers broke the scoreless tie in the top of the tenth inning, started by a
Christian Pena single. Eickhoff entered to pinch run for the Panthers and stole second. Smith entered the batter's box and struck out but reached first on a wild pitch which also scored Eickhoff to give EIU the lead.
Stevenson struck out two of the final three batters to clinch the Panthers 4-3 win. The Panthers will wrap up the series against SIUE tomorrow in the form of a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
