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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Eastern Illinois (8-3) started off their road trip at Toyota Field with a win against the Bulldogs of Alabama A&M (1-9) by a score of 15-2 in seven innings. Winning pitcher Trevor Nicholson pitched in five innings for the Panthers, allowing two unearned runs, two hits, and collected seven strikeouts. Lucas DiLuca and Ryan Ignoffo both earned three RBIs in game one of the three game series against A&M.

QUICK STATS:
Lucas DiLuca: 1-2, 3 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB
Logan Eickhoff: 2-3, 2B, RBI, R, BB
Ryan Ignoffo: 1-5, 3 RBI, R
Lincoln Riley: 2-2, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB, HBP
Nathan Aide: 2-4, 2 RBI, R
Trevor Nicholson: W (2-0), 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K
Jesse Wainscott: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 K

EIU would jump out to the early lead in Friday's afternoon game and never look back. The Panthers scored four runs in the first inning off of A&M's starting pitcher. Ignoffo earned his first RBI on the day with a fielder's choice to score Riley from third. Aide was able to score another run after he singled to left field and brought home DiLuca. Chris Worcester would get in on the action as he roped a double to right field to bring home Aide and Ignoffo. The Bulldogs would go three up and three down against Nicholson in the bottom of the first.

After Nicholas Rucker, Riley, and DiLuca all reached safely in the second, the Panthers would strand three runners. Nicholson went back to work on the mound for EIU striking out three to end the second. 

The bats came back out in the third inning starting with an RBI single for Ben Gallaher who brought home Worcester from third after he singled to lead-off the inning. With bases loaded, DiLuca was walked to score another run. Eickhoff would score the final run of the inning with a sac fly to center field that brought home Gallaher, and put EIU 7-0. The Bulldogs would get on the board in the third after Nicholson put two runners on the leadoff the inning. Alabama A&M would score two on a fielding error by DiLuca at second to cut the lead to 7-2.

After a scoreless fourth, the Panther would go on to score four more in the top of the fifth. After Rucker was walked to leadoff the fifth, Lincoln Riley hit a shot to left field for a homerun, his second of the season. DiLuca would follow that up with a walk, and Eickhoff would double to put runners at second and third. Ignoffo would then ground out, but not before DiLuca scored another run. Aide would also hit a sac fly to center field to score another one, and put the Panthers up 11-2. Nicholson would end his afternoon by striking out one more in the bottom of the fifth.

Alabama A&M would start the top of the sixth with loaded bases for EIU. Bryce Hayman would single to left center to score Dalton Doyle. DiLuca would earn his final two RBI after a fielder's choice scored Rucker and Gallaher. Ignoffo would also earn his third RBI with a single to center field to give EIU 15 runs in Friday's game. Neither team would score in the seventh to end the game on a Wainscott ground out.

EIU would score 15 runs on 15 hits and had one error. The Bulldogs would score two runs on four hits and had three errors. Game two will start tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Recap will follow the game.