INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Eastern Illinois (17-7, 3-0 OVC) lost game two of a Sunday double header against the Butler Bulldogs (14-14, 0-0 Big East) after Butler walked it off in the 10th inning to win by a final of 2-1. EIU loses their first series since Arkansas-Little Rock to open up the season. Starting pitcher
Ky Matthews-Hampton made his season debut on Sunday as he threw 4.2 innings, allowed two hits and one run with two strikeouts. Nichols Rucker had the lone RBI on Sunday for EIU.
QUICK STATS
Ky Matthews-Hampton: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Nichols Rucker: 1-4, RBI
Lincoln Riley: 1-4, BB
Logan Eickhoff: 1-3, R, BB
Nathan Aide: 1-2, BB, HBP
Kyle Lang: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Jesse Wainscott: L (1-2), 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 BB, K
Throughout this weekend's four-game series, runs were hard to come by for both teams. The most runs scored in was in game two on Saturday when EIU won 3-2. Game two of Sunday's double header was no different.
EIU had a chance to strike early on in the first inning after Riley and Eickhoff both got on base, but Butler managed to turn a double play to escape the inning. Hampton was able to go three-up three-down during his first appearance this season in the first inning.
Both teams would have runners on in the second, but failed to score. Hampton also produced a one, two, three inning in the third for the Panthers.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Butler manged to score a run after Hampton had walked two Bulldogs in a row to have men on first and second. An error by Akbar at short stop allowed Butler to score and go up 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth. Lang would finish out the inning for Hampton.
The Panthers wouldn't go down easy in the sixth as Rucker managed to hit a single into left field to score Eickhoff from third and advance
Ryan Ignoffo and Aide. With bases loaded, Adrian Vega of Butler produced two strikeouts to end the inning for EIU.
Each team had a runner on in the seventh, but failed to score. EIU and Butler went three and out in the eighth and ninth innings to force extra innings. In the tenth after a Riley flyout,
Lucas DiLuca was walked to have a runner on first. Eickhoff bunted him over to second to give EIU a man in scoring position. Dawson Taylor relieved Vega for Butler and struck out
Tarron Lawson to end the top of the 10th.
Wainscott would put two Bulldogs on base after a hit-by-pitch and a walk.
Zane Robbins came in for the Panthers, but gave up a single to Scott Jones to center field to win the game for Butler. It was their second walk-off of the weekend.
EIU posted one run on four hits and had two errors. Butler scored two runs on five hits with zero errors. EIU will be back in action on Tuesday, April 5th as they travel to Rantoul, Ill. for a home game against Bellarmine. Livestats will be provided.
