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MARTIN, Tenn - Eastern Illinois (15-4, 2-0 OVC) wins game two of the three-game series against UT Martin (7-13, 0-2 OVC) by a final score of 9-4. First baseman Ryan Ignoffo led the EIU offense Saturday afternoon with a 4-4 performance with two doubles, a homerun, and four RBIs. Winning pitcher Cameron Doherty (3-2) went 5.0 innings while giving up seven hits, one run, and had two strikeouts. Lucas DiLuca also continued his 16-game hitting streak with a single.

QUICK STATS
Ryan Ignoffo: 4-4, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R
Cameron Doherty: W (3-2), 5.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Lincoln Riley: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, HBP
Logan Eickhoff: 2-5, RBI, 2 R, SB
Kyle Lang: 1.0 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

After a scoreless first inning for both teams, the Skyhawks of UT Martin got on the board first with an RBI single from Nate Self to put UT up one going into the third. The Panthers would strike back with a run of their own after a double from Riley scored Bryce Hayman after he walked to leadoff the inning. EIU would leave two men on to end the inning.

A scoreless fourth inning from EIU and UT Martin would set up a three run inning by the Panthers in the fifth. After a league leading 12th hit-by-pitch from Riley, DiLuca reached on first on an error and moved Riley to third. Eickhoff bunted down the third base line and reached safely, but Riley was tagged out on the play. Ignoffo stepped to the plate to hit his team leading seventh homerun of the season, and put EIU up 4-1 in the fifth. Doherty would leave the bases loaded in the bottom half of the inning.

UT Martin's pitcher Seth Petry (0-5) and Wainscott would leave both teams without a run in the sixth.

EIU would add three more runs on the day in the seventh. DiLuca extended his hitting streaks with two outs to get the Panthers going. After a stolen base by DiLuca, Eickhoff singled to pick up an RBI. Ignoffo would then double down the left field line to bring home Eickhoff. After a wild pitch, Nathan Aide would single through second base to score Ignoffo and extend the lead to 7-1.

Travis Reaves and Grant Lashure both reached on errors to start the eighth. After a bunt single by Hayman to have the bases loaded, Riley earned his second RBI of the day with an single through the left side of the inning to score one. UT Martin would turn a double play to end the inning. The Skyhawks would also score one in the eighth after an RBI single by Cameron Brady.

Ignoffo would leadoff the final inning with his second double, and would advance to third on a fly out from Aide. He then would score on a balk by pitcher Noah Walters to give EIU their final run. The Skyhawks would threaten in the ninth with two runs scored off of Tyler Conklin, but Chris Worcester got the final out thanks to a groundout to shortstop.

EIU would score nine runs on 13 hits and have one error. UT Marin would score four runs on 10 hits and have four errors.

The Panthes will play the final game of a three-game series against UT Martin tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. at Skyhawks Baseball Field. Livestats and ESPN+ will be made available.