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CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois (30-18, 10-11 OVC) get swept in game three by the Bruins of Belmont (34-17, 15-5 OVC) by a final score of 5-3. The Panthers out hit the Bruins 10 to eight but left nine men on base throughout the game. Second baseman Lucas DiLuca picked up three hits in the loss including a double an a RBI. Sean Lynch Jr. had another nice game in the series after picking up two RBIs and a single. Starting pitcher Ky Matthews Hampton went three innings allowing four hits, two runs, and struck out four. Chaney Trout suffered the loss as he went 1.2 innings and allowed three runs in the seventh. Dusty Baird picks up the win for Belmont, and Kyle Brennan earns his 14th save of the season.

QUICK STATS
Lucas DiLuca: 3-5, 2B, RBI
Sean Lynch: 1-2, 2 RBI, R, 2 SF
Nicholas Rucker: 1-2, R, 2 BB
Ky Matthews-Hampton: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, BB, 4 K
Chaney Trout: L (1-1), 1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, BB, K

For the third consecutive game in the series EIU opened up the scoring earlier on in the second inning. Nicholas Rucker and Dalton Doyle both got on base, and were moved over into scoring position by Grant Lashure with a SAC bunt. Lynch was able to hit a SAC fly to right field to score Rucker from third to take the early lead.

Belmont would not stay down for long as they scored a run in the second to tie the game. Tommy Crider lead off the inning with a double, and was followed by a ground-rule double to center field from Logan Jarvis to tie the game. 

Yesterday's walk-off hero for Belmont John Behrends hit a double in the third inning to bring around Carson Shacklett from first to home, and allowed Belmont to take their first lead of the ball game. 

Kyle Lang and Jalen Borders would both picked scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth inning to keep the game at a one run advantage to the Bruins. Lang would pitch into the sixth inning, and was cleaned up by Trout to end the inning.

The Panthers offense would come back out in the seventh as they had the bases loaded after Lynch, Ja'Lil Akbar, and Chris Worcester all reached safely. DiLuca stepped up to the plate and delivered a single to right field that brought home Lynch from third to tie the game at two a piece.

Belmont would not go away in the seventh as Trout allowed a two RBI triple to Behrends and a SAC fly by Fuy Lipscomb to put the Bruins back on top 5-3. Lynch would add another run in the top of the eighth off of his second RBI SAC fly to cut the lead to two runs.

Closer Brennan for the Bruins would go three up, three down in the top of the ninth to secure the sweep for Belmont over the Panthers.

EIU would score three runs on 10 hits with no errors. The Bruins would score five runs on eight hits with one error.

Eastern Illinois will be back in action next week with four games scheduled at Coaches Stadium to end the regular season. It all kicks off with senior day on Tuesday, May 17th at 3: 00 p.m. All games will be streamed on ESPN+.