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MARTIN, Tenn - Eastern Illinois (14-4, 1-0 OVC) pick up their first Ohio Valley Conference win of the season after they defeated UT Marin (7-12, 0-1 OVC) by a score of 4-3. Starting pitcher Trevor Nicholson threw 7.0 innings while giving up five hits, three runs, and had 14 strikeouts to lead EIU. It is the third time this season that Nicholson has add 10 plus strikeouts in a game. Zane Robbins also picked up his sixth save of the season after throwing three straight strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.

QUICK STATS
Trevor Nicholson: W (4-0), 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 14 K
Ryan Ignoffo: 2-4, HR, RBI
Chris Worcester: 2-4, RBI, 3 SB
Lucas DiLuca: 1-4 RBI, SB (15-game hitting streak)
Jackson Nichols: 1.0 IP, 3 K
Zane Robbins: S (6), 1.0 IP, 3 K

After a scoreless first inning by the Panthers, UT Martin got on the board first with an RBI single by Ethan Whitley. Nicholson would pick up two strikeouts in the inning without giving up any more runs.

Both teams went scoreless in the second. Eastern Illinois got on the board in the third after Bryce Hayman picked up a double to leadoff the inning. Lincoln Riley had a sac bunt to the pitcher to move Hayman to third. DiLuca would follow that with a groundout to shortstop to score Hayman for Eastern's first run. Nicholson would add two more strikeouts in the bottom half.

The Panthers' bats stayed hot in the fourth inning. Ignoffo lead off the inning with a solo homerun to right field to give the Panthers their first lead of the afternoon. Ignoffo leads the team with six homeruns. Nathan Aide would single in his next at-bat and advance to second on a wild pitch. Worcester would then hit a single up the middle to score Aide from second. Worcester would steal second to put him in scoring position. Ben Gallaher would join the action with an RBI single through the right side to score Worcester and put EIU up 4-1.

Through innings five and six, Nicholson would keep the Skyhawks off the board while posting four more strikeouts in two innings. 

UT Martin wouldn't go away in the seventh. After DiLuca was left on base after singling to continue his 15-game hitting streak, the Skyhawks would score two more in the seventh. Nicholson gave up a walk and a single to start the inning. Alec Beaman for UT Martin would double down the third base line to score one. After two Nicholson strikeouts, the Skyhawks would score one more on a wild pitch by Nicholson. He would stop the damage with his 14th and final strikeout of the afternoon.

Nichols would pitch the eighth inning for EIU and throwing three-up three-down with three straight strikeouts to set up Robbins in the ninth. Robbins struckout two swinging and one looking to give EIU their first OVC win of the season.

The Panthers scored four runs on nine hits with zero errors. UT Martin would score three runs on five hits with no errors. EIU will be back in action tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m. to play game two of their three-game series against UT Martin. Livestats and ESPN+ will be made available.