LAKE CHARLES, La. – Eastern Illinois (12-4) lose game two against McNeese State (11-9) as the Cowboys beat the Panthers 6-3 in part due to a 16 hit performance by McNeese. EIU ends their win streak at nine games. Starting pitcher
Cameron Doherty (L, 2-2) pitched 5.1 innings on Saturday allowing 11 hits including two homeruns. Doherty also posted four strikeouts.
Lucas DiLuca continued his hitting streak which moves to 13 games in a row.
Ryan Ignoffo also added a homerun for the Panthers, his fifth of the season.
QUICK STATS:
Lucas DiLuca: 2-5, SB
Ryan Ignoffo: 2-4, HR, RBI, R
Lincoln Riley: 1-4, R, SB, BB
Cameron Doherty: L (2-2). 5.1 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Hayden Birdsong: 1.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 K
In the top of the first inning, EIU had a chance to score early as they had bases loaded after three singles from DiLuca,
Logan Eickhoff, and
Ryan Ignoffo but failed to produce any runs in the first. The Cowboys scored one run in the first after Doherty allowed an RBI single for Kade Hunter with two outs.
Panthers would be held scoreless in the second after a three-up three-down inning. Doherty would handle things in the bottom half of the inning leaving two Cowboys stranded on base.
Riley was walked to start the third inning and DiLuca picked up his second hit to put two on for EIU in the third, but failed to convert any runs out of it. Doherty again held the Cowboys in check in the third to keep the score at 0-1.
McNeese State was able to add to their lead in the fourth after a double by Reid Bourque to score one. Doherty would get out of the inning without any further damage. Brad Burckel for the Cowboys hit a solo homerun in the fifth inning off Doherty to increase their lead to 0-3.
Ignoffo got the Panthers on the board in the sixth inning with a solo homerun of his own to cut the lead to two. Doherty's afternoon would end after he let up his second homerun of the game which put the Cowboys up 1-5. Birdsong would close out the inning without surrendering another run.
The Panthers offense would heat up in the top of the seventh after
Lucas DiLuca would reach on an error but not after Riley and
Ja'Lil Akbar scored. Akbar and Riley both singled with two outs for EIU in the inning. McNeese would changed pitchers in the seventh, and left two on base for the Panthers. The Cowboys would add one more run in the seventh after an RBI single by Braden Duhon.
EIU would end the game going scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings to end the Panthers' nine game winning streak.
The Panthers would score three runs on 10 hits with no errors. The Cowboys would score six runs on 16 hits with one error. EIU will return tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. for their final game against McNeese State at Joe Miller Ballpark.
