EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Eastern Illinois (21-8, 5-1 OVC) win the series against the Cougars of SIUE (14-16, 3-6 OVC) by a final score of 18-10. The Panthers were originally supposed to play the series at Coaches Stadium, but was moved to SIUE because of maintenance. EIU was the home team for all three games. The Panthers were lead by an eight run first inning which saw seven straight batters collect a hit.
Dalton Doyle was 3-5 on the day with four RBIs and two runs scored.
Nicholas Rucker was 2-3 with three RBIs and added three walks.
Kyle Lang earned his first win of the season after throwing in relief of
Blake Malatestinic.
QUICK STATS
Dalton Doyle: 3-5, 4 RBI, 2 R, BB
Nicholas Rucker: 2-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, SB
Logan Eickhoff: 2-5, 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R, SB
Lucas DiLuca: 3-4, 2 RBI, 3 R, 2 SB, 3 BB
Kyle Lang: W (1-0), 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Blake Malatestinic: ND, 4.2 IP, 8 H, 9 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Malatestinic was able to go three up and three down in the first inning which lead to a strong offensive start for EIU. The Panthers would start off the game scoring eight runs with their first eight batters getting on base safely.
Lincoln Riley and DiLuca started off with two singles and was followed by an RBI single by Eickhoff to get EIU on the board. After a stolen base by Eickhoff,
Nathan Aide hit a single through the left side to score DiLuca.
Doyle collected his first RBI of the day in the first inning after he singled to score Eickhoff. Rucker would hit the lone EIU homerun today in the first inning that would bring the lead to 6-0.
Bryce Hayman would collect a double as the DH for the game and be hit home by Riley for his second single of the inning. The Panthers would be up 8-0 after the first inning.
Malatestinic would come back in the second and collect another three and out for EIU on the mound. After two errors from the Cougars,
Ja'Lil Akbar stepped to the plate and delivered and RBI single to right center field to bring home Rucker.
The third inning brought trouble to Malatestinic on the mound as SIUE would score six in the inning. Brennan Orf lead off the inning with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Drew Mize would then double down the line to score Orf. After a hit-by-pitch, Richie Well would hit the first of his two homeruns in the game to score three more runs. Malatestinic would walk a Cougar and give up his second homerun of the inning after Connor Kiffer hit a two-run shot to left center. EIU would still lead 9-6 after three.
EIU's offense would get a lift in the fourth inning with two outs. With bases loaded, Doyle singled through the right side to score DiLuca and Eickhoff.
Nathan Aide would then score on a wild pitch by Spencer Smith. SIUE would the walk three straight Panthers to walk in a run. Gallaher was credited with the RBI walk. EIU was walked 15 times in the game. They would leave 13-6 after four.
The Cougars kept chipping away at the lead and the fifth inning was no different. SIUE would put two runners on, and would score three more runs off of Malatestinic after Brady Bunten hit a three-run homerun to left field to bring SIUE to within four. SIUE had four homeruns in the game.
EIU would also add two insurance runs in the fifth inning. After DiLuca walked, Eickhoff hit a double to put runners on second and third. Aide hit into a groundout but still scored DiLuca. Doyle would follow that with an RBI single of his own to push the lead to 15-9.
Lang would sit down three straight Cougars to leave SIUE scoreless in the sixth. Hayman, Gallaher, and Akbar would load the bases in the sixth for EIU. DiLuca picked up an RBI single to right field that scored Hayman. The inning ended after an RBI fielder's choice from Eickhoff, but Akbar was thrown out at home after the run scored to end the inning.
The seventh saw both offenses put up zeros for the first time in the game. Well would hit his second homerun of the game in the eighth off of
Jesse Wainscott to give SIUE 10 runs on the afternoon. EIU would have three batters walked in the inning which lead to a sac fly by Eickhoff to leave the score at 18-10.
Zane Robbins would come in the top of the ninth inning and shut down the Cougars.
EIU would score 18 runs on 18 hits and have one error. SIUE would score 10 runs on 12 hits and have two errors. EIU will be back in action on Tuesday, April 12th for a midweek game in Rantoul, Ill. against Valparaiso. Livestats will be made available.
