RANTOUL, Ill. - Eastern Illinois (25-9, 7-2 OVC) won their fourth straight game at the Rantoul Family Sports Complex over Great Lakes Valley Conference opponent McKendree (12-23, 7-9 GLVC) by a final score of 9-0.
Mac Hickman threw a perfect 4.0 innings in his third win this season. Hickman tossed five strikeouts while not allowing a hit.
Ryan Ignoffo had two RBIs in his first game back since April 3 against Butler.
Dalton Doyle,
Lincoln Riley, and
Nathan Aide also collected two hits each in the win.Â
QUICK STATS
Mac Hickman: W (3-0), 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Dalton Doyle: 2-4, RBI, 2B, R
Lincoln Riley: 2-4, 2B, 2 R, BB
Nathan Aide: 2-5, RBI, R
Ryan Ignoffo: 0-2, 2 RBI, BB
Dylan Drumke: 1-1, HR, 2 RBI
Jason DeCicco: 1.0 IP, H, 2 K
Hickman made quick work in the first inning with three up and three down including a strikeout. Riley started the game with a double for EIU. After DiLuca was walked and both advanced on a wild pitch, Aide was able to hit a grounder to shortstop to score one. Ignoffo followed that up with another groundout but manged to score DiLuca for a 2-0 to end the first.
The Panthers defense was stout in the second and third innings for Hickman as he had not allowed a hit and posted another two strikeouts.
Ja'Lil Akbar and Riley were both walked to start the third inning. Aide would load the bases for Ignoffo after a single to left field. Ignoffo would be walked to score and RBI, his second of the game. After a wild pitched scored Riley from third,
Nicholas Rucker would reach on a fielder's choice play to home that would result in Aide being safe and moving the lead to 5-0.
After two more strikeouts in the fourth, Hickman's night would end on the mound.
Grant Lashure and Akbar would both reach safely to start the bottom of the fourth for Eastern. Riley would hit into a 5-3 double play to keep Akbar at second. DiLuca would double to left field to score Akbar from second and put the Panthers up six.
McKendree got their first hit in the fifth inning after a leadoff single to first base off of reliever
Kyle Lang. Lang would force the Bearcats into a double play and get a strikeout to end the inning.
Dalton Doyle would hit an RBI single to score Rucker after he doubled down the left field line.
Jason DeCicco would enter the game for the Panthers in the sixth and get two strikeouts. Andrew Yancik would come into pitch in the bottom half of the inning and get the Panthers to strikeout twice.
Tyler Conklin would throw the seventh inning for the Panthers and go one, two, three to end the top half. Doyle was able to hit an double to right center field and was hit home by
Dylan Drumke who hit his first career homerun for EIU.
Travis Reaves and Riley would both single in the inning, but were left stranded. EIU was up 9-0 heading into the eighth.Â
After a scoreless eighth inning,
Jalen Cardinal would finish off the Bearcats with a three-up three-down ninth inning to secure the Eastern Illinois victory.
The Panthers would score nine runs on 11 hits with no errors. McKendree would score no runs on two hits and no errors. EIU will be back in action this weekend as they will host a three-game home series in Bloomington, Ill. at Illinois Wesleyan's campus. Livestats will be provided for all three games.
