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MATTOON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois (25-12, 7-5 OVC) lose three straight games against the Racers of Murray State (21-18, 7-8 OVC) as they fall in game two of a double header on Saturday by a score of 24-20. EIU collected 19 hits on the day including seven homeruns. Murray State had 20 hits with 10 homeruns. Ryan Ignoffo stayed hot in game three with two homeruns and four RBIs. Nathan Aide also had three hits for EIU and four RBIs. Starting pitcher Blake Malatestinic (L, 3-3) allowed five earned runs on four hits in the first inning, and was replaced by Ky Hampton. Both EIU and Murray State combined for 17 homeruns in game three of the series which ties an NCAA for most homeruns hit in a single game (1991-Lousiville vs.Western Illinois.

QUICK STATS
Ryan Ignoffo: 2-7, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R
Nathan Aide: 3-7, 4 RBI, R
Nicholas Rucker: 1-5, 3 RBI, R
Chris Worcester: 3-6, RBI, 3 R
Blake Malatestinic: L (3-3), 0.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 1 BB
Ky Hampton: 3.0 IP, 11 H, 12 R, 7 ER, 4 K
Kyle Lang: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB, 3 K

The Racers started off the game scoring 10 runs in the first inning alone. With two men on, Bryson Bloomer hit a three-run homerun for his first homerun of game three. He was followed by two solo homeruns from Drew Vogel and Brennan McCullough for back-to-back-to-back homeruns. Malatestinic left the game after allowing three straight homeruns. Murray State would bat around the order to bring up Jake Slunder for a two RBI single. After another Racer was put on, Bloomer hit his second three-run homerun of the inning to put MSU up 10-0 after the first half inning.

EIU would not go down without a fight in the first inning. The Panthers battled back starting with a three-run shot from Nicholas Rucker to cut the lead to 10-3. Lincoln Riley and Nathan Aide both reached safely for Rucker's homerun. Chris Worcester would then hit a solo homerun of his own right after Rucker's. Riley would be walked later in the inning with the bases loaded to bring in another run. Aide recorded the seventh and final RBI on the first inning to cut the lead to 10-7 after one.

The Racers would score another three-runs in the top of the second from a homerun from Cayden Shaver who scored McCullough and Riley Hawthorne. Ryan Ignoffo started off the bottom of the inning with a solo homerun. Grant Lashure tripled later in the inning to score Worcester for another RBI. Dalton Doyle then hit his first homerun of the season for two-run blast to cut the lead to 13-11.

The third inning saw two more of Murray State's 10 homeruns with back-to-back shots from Vogel and McCullough for their second homeruns of the day. Hampton would get a strikeout to end the game. Worcester would pick up a double in the third, but was left stranded.

After an RBI double from Shaver to start the fourth for MSU, Mac Hickman came to the mound for EIU.  Jake Slunder would pick up an RBI sac fly for the Racers to score one more. Bloomer would end the inning with his third homerun of the game to put Murray up 19-11. EIU would go scoreless in the fourth. The Racers would also pick up a run in the fifth from a balk by Hickman which scored McCullough.

The Racer's Vogel hit a two run homerun in the top of the sixth to put a total of 22 run on the board for the Racers. Aide got the Panthers back on the board in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single , and was followed by a wild pitch by MSU that scored Riley. EIU cut the lead to 22-13.

Hawthorne would step up to the plate in the seventh for the Racers and hit another homerun off the Panthers. Ben Gallaher would enter the game for EIU at the catcher spot and hit an RBI single up the middle to score Worcester. Racers would get one more in the eighth off an error by Kyle Lang that would score Bloomer and give MSU a total of 24 runs.

Ryan Ignoffo would cut into the lead with his second homerun of the game, and give EIU three more runs in the eighth inning. Zane Robbins entered the game in the ninth and shut down the Racers offense, not allowing them to score. EIU would show some last ditch effort in the ninth by scoring three. Logan Eickhoff and Gallaher hit back-to-back homeruns to start the bottom of the inning. EIU would score one more run with an RBI fielder's choice by Aide to end the scoring at 24-20.

EIU would score 20 runs on 19 hits and three errors. Murray State would score 24 runs on 21 hits and two errors. The Panthers will be back in action on Wednesday at Illinois Wesleyan. Livestats will be available.