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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Eastern Illinois baseball (1-0) took the first game of their three game series against Arkansas-Little Rock (0-1) by a score of 11-0. Ryan Ignoffo led the Panthers with two doubles and three RBI in the game. Starting pitcher Blake Malatestinic threw six innings allowing five hits, 0 runs, and collected five strikeouts in his first outing of the year.

QUICK STATS:
Ryan Ignoffo - 2 for 5, two doubles, three RBI, one run scored
Blake Malatestinic - 6.0 IP, five strikeouts, five hits, three walks, zero earned runs, W (1-0)
Chris Worcester - 1 for 3, one RBI, one walk, one run scored
Nathan Aide - 2 for 5, two doubles, one RBI, two runs scored
Lucas DiLuca - 1 for 4, one RBI, two runs scored
Logan Eickhoff - 1 for 4, one RBI, two runs scored, one walk
Lincoln Riley - 1 for 3, one RBI, one run scored, one walk
Trevor Nicholson - 3.0 IP, four strikeouts, zero walks, zero earned runs, zero hits, Save (1)

The Panthers started the day off slow with zero hits threw four innings of work. Malatestinic kept the Panthers in the game by stranding five Trojans on base through the first four innings. Little Rock had four hits through the fourth.

EIU's bats came alive in the top of the fifth when Ignoffo led off the inning with a double to center field. Bryce Hayman followed that with a walk to have runners on first and second. Aide was able to advance Ignoffo to third after a fly out to right field. Worcester then hit a deep shot to center field which scored the games first run from a sacrifice fly. Hayman also collected his first stolen base of the season in the fifth.

Malatestinic was able to hold off the Trojans in the bottom of the fifth before three straight Panthers got on base in the top of the sixth. Lucas DiLuca led-off the inning being hit by a pitch while Eickhoff and Dalton Doyle produced back-to-back walks that led to another Ignoffo double that scored two runs. Panthers went up 3-0 after the sixth.

Nicholson went to work in the seventh and eighth innings as he was able to go six up, six down including a three strikeout inning in the bottom of the eighth.

The top of the ninth saw Eastern Illinois' bats produce eight runs to take an 11-0 lead. Aide started the inning with a double and Worcester followed him with a walk to put runners on first and second. The Trojans switched their pitcher which led to another walk drawn by Ben Gallaher. Riley drew the Panthers fourth straight walk to score the first run of the inning.

With bases load, DiLuca singled to center field to score one. Eickhoff was able to single threw the gap at shortstop to bring home another one. Doyle then grounded out to third which advanced the runners and scored one. Ignoffo added to his day by grounding out to second, but scored DiLuca from third. Eickhoff took advantage of a wild pitch to home to score the sixth run of the inning.

Hayman walked again and advanced to second on a wild pitch, which set up Aide's second double of the game to bring him home. The Panthers scored their final run after Worcester hit an infield single that moved Aide to third and scored from a throwing error by the Trojans.

Nicholson then went back out onto the mound in the ninth to produce three straight oust to end the game, 11-0. Malatestinic picked up his first win of the season while Nicholson earned his first save of the year. The Panthers are back in action Saturday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. against the Trojans. LiveStats will be made available.