LAKE CHARLES, La. – Eastern Illinois (12-3) continue their hot streak on the road as the Panthers defeat the Cowboys of McNeese State (10-9) by a score of 3-2. EIU has now won their ninth straight this season. The Panthers lead the NCAA with 12 road wins on the season. Starting pitcher
Trevor Nicholson (W, 2-0) threw 6.1 innings while giving up one run, two hits, and tossed 11 strikeouts. It marks the second time this season that Nicholson has thrown more than 10 strikeouts in a game.
Lucas DiLuca added two hits in Friday's contest to continue his 12-game hitting streak on the season.
QUICK STATS:
Trevor Nicholson: W (3-0), 6.1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 11 K
Lucas DiLuca: 2-3, 2 BB
Logan Eickhoff: 1-2, RBI, BB
Ben Gallaher: 1-4, R
Zane Robbins: S (4), 1.1 IP, 0 R, H, 0 BB, K
Panthers got the action going in the first inning with a
Lincoln Riley walk and a DiLuca single to put runners at the corners. Eickhoff would then hit a sac fly for EIU to bring home Riley from third. Eastern would leave two on to end the top half of the inning. Nicholson would start his day off with three-up three-down with three swinging strikeouts.
In the top of the second, EIU would add two more runs after Gallaher,
Bryce Hayman, and DiLuca all reached safe to lead the bases. Eickhoff would then reach safely on first after an error by the Cowboy's shortstop to score two. Nicholson would give up his only run of the night in the second after walking one, and an error by
Ryan Ignoffo at first base to put McNeese State on the board. He would also add three more Ks to his night in the second.
Both teams would be locked in a defensive battle in the third inning with both teams collecting no hits or runs.
Lincoln Riley would earn himself a single in the fourth but was caught stealing to end the top half of the inning. Nicholson left one Cowboy stranded in the bottom of the fourth.
Panthers had bases loaded in the fifth inning with DiLuca and Eickhoff earning walks and a single by Ignoffo, but the Cowboys were able to get out of the inning without giving up a run. McNeese State would leave one on as well in the fifth the keep the score locked at 3-1.
Dalton Doyle picked up his second double of the season in the sixth for the Panthers only hit in the inning. EIU would leave him stranded at second to end the top of the sixth. Nicholson would give up only his second hit of the game in the sixth, but added two more strikeouts to put up another scoreless inning.
EIU was held scoreless in the seventh. Nicholson threw one out in the seventh, when
Jackson Nichols came in for relief. Nichols would get one strikeout in the bottom of the inning to keep the Cowboys off the board.
After a scoreless eighth for EIU, the Cowboys would get one more run from a single by Kade Hunter to cut the lead to one for EIU. Robbins was able to close out the game though for the Panthers in the ninth inning to pick up his fourth save of the season.
EIU would score three runs on seven hits with two errors. McNeese State would score two runs on three hits with three errors. The Panthers will be back in action tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at Joe Miller Ballpark for the second of three games against the Cowboys. Livestats and video will be made available.
