CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois baseball (16-13, 7-7 OVC) snagged the series win over Eastern Kentucky (9-20, 4-10 OVC) after winning the doubleheader. The Panthers won the opening game of the series 9-7 behind a combined six RBI from
Trey Sweeney and
Ryan Knernschield. The Panther lineup exploded offensively in game two of the series, scoring ten runs in the first three innings of play to win 11-2.Â
Alex Stevenson was awarded the win in game one, moving his record to 2-2;
Ky Hampton won game two, as his record moves to 4-2.
QUICK HITSÂ
GAME ONE
Eastern Illinois started the day on a high note. DiLuca walked, followed by a
Dane Toppel hit-by-pitch to put two on for the man of the hour:
Trey Sweeney. The shortstop came through with a clutch double into right-center that fell just shy of being a homer. DiLuca came around to score to put runners on second and third. Knernschield stepped into the batter's box and tagged a pitch deep enough into left field to score the speedy Toppel. The Panthers ended the first inning with a 2-0 lead.
EIU continued to rally in the bottom of the second, a rally started by Pena, who singled through the left side.
Gunner Smith drew a walk, as did DiLuca. Sweeney came out of the on-deck circle with another chance to put runs on the board for his team. He came through with a two-run single into right to put EIU up 4-0.
Cameron Doherty had held the Colonels to only one hit through the first four innings of the game. In the top of the fourth, EKU got on the board, scoring three runs. EKU continued to battle in the sixth inning, scoring another two runs before being relieved for
Ryan Ignoffo. The Panthers got out of the inning, but not the Colonels captured the lead, 6-4.
The Panthers and Colonels battled back and forth to put the score at the bottom of the eighth, all tied up at 7-7.
Ben Snapp led off the inning with a single stroked through the left side. DiLuca laid down a sacrifice bunt to take away the double-play, although Toppel managed to reach on an error by the EKU second baseman. Sweeney was intentionally walked to bring up Knernschield who, once again knocked a sacrifice fly into left-field to score Snapp and take the lead. Kerrigan added an insurance run with a single into center to put the Panthers lead at 9-7.
Stevenson shut the Colonels down to secure the 9-7 win.
GAME TWO
The Panthers started the second game off with a single from DiLuca into left-field. The rally continued with a Sweeney walk and a Knernschield single to score DiLuca. EIU continued to battle as another walk from Pena loaded the bases for Kerrigan, who busted the lead wide-open with a bases-clearing single into deep left-center field. The Panthers had struck early to gather a 4-0 lead.Â
Eastern Illinois continued to pile on the runs in the second and third innings. Knernschield knocked a double with the bases loaded into right-field to score two more runs in the second inning; EIU scored two of their four runs on wild pitches in the third inning.
Ky Hampton held the Colonels scoreless until the sixth, when EKU's Harris hit a solo homer into left-center field.Â
The Panthers added one more run from a
Dalton Doyle single that scored Toppel and secured the 11-2 win over EKU.
ON DECK
The Panthers will wrap up the series against EKU tomorrow at 2 p.m., in Charleston, Ill.
