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Photo Gallery (by
Sandy King)
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois (32-19, 11-12 OVC) split Friday's double header with Southeast Missouri (34-18, 16-7 OVC) on the second to last day of the regular season. SEMO took the first game 6-4, while the Panthers stormed back from an early 5-0 deficit in game two to win by a final of 7-5.
Hayden Birdsong got the win for the Panthers in game two as he came in for starting pitcher
Cameron Doherty in the first inning. Birdsong only allowed two hits while striking out eight.
Dalton Doyle,
Ja'Lil Akbar, and
Ben Gallaher all an two RBIs in the game two win.
Trevor Nicholson suffered the loss in the game after allowing three runs in six innings of work. Doyle also had a two-run home run in game one.
GAME ONE QUICK STATS
Dalton Doyle: 2-3, HR (5), 3 RBI, R
Ryan Ignoffo: 2-4, R, BB, SB,
Lucas DiLuca: 1-5, 2B, RBI
Trevor Nicholson: L (5-2), 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 4 K
Kyle Lang: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 K
Both
Trevor Nicholson and Jason Rackers made quick work in the first two inning. Nicholson also posted three straight strikeouts in the second inning, he has 90 on the season to lead the Ohio Valley Conference.
SEMO was able to load the bases in the third inning off of Nicholson, and Jevon Mason delivered an RBI sac fly to right field to put the first run on the board in game one. Brett Graber then was able to single to load the bases again. This time, Tyler Wilber hit an two RBI single to put SEMO up 3-0.
Panthers would join the Redhawks on the score board in the fourth with a two-run home run by Doyle with
Ryan Ignoffo on base. It would be Doyle's fifth home run of the season. Nicholson and Rackers were able to continue their success on the mound in the fifth and sixth innings after putting up zeros.
Kyle Lang would enter the game for EIU trailing one in the seventh. SEMO would capitalize by putting up two more runs to stretch their lead. Mason would hit into an RBI groundout to score the first run while Graber would score Palmer with a single up the middle to extend their lead to 5-2. Logan Andrews would add SEMO's final run in the eighth with an RBI single off of Lang.
The Panthers managed to get to runners on in the ninth inning in game one, and
Lucas DiLuca delivered a one out two RBI double to give EIU life. SEMO would put in Blake Cisneros to get the final two outs of the ball game, and take game one 6-4.
EIU would score four runs on nine hits with no errors. SEMO would score six runs on nine hits with three errors.
GAME TWO QUICK STATS
Dalton Doyle: 2-4, 2 RBI
Ja'Lil Akbar: 1-3, 2 RBI
Ben Gallaher: 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R
Cameron Doherty: ND, 0.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, K
Hayden Birdsong: W (5-3), 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K
Blake Malatestinic: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, BB, 2 K
Eastern would get off to a rocky start in game two as SEMO's bats came alive in the first inning. The Redhawks would score five runs in the first inning alone off starting pitcher
Cameron Doherty.Ben Graber would grab the first RBI of game two with a double to score Mason. Wilber followed than with an RBI single to score Graber.Wilber would score later in the inning due to a balk by Doherty. Peyton Leeper would hit a sac fly to score another run, and Joel Vaske would add the final RBI to give SEMO a 5-0 advantage.
The Panthers did not waste much time getting back into the game as they would score two of their own in the first.
Ben Gallaher delivered a two RBI double to right field to score DiLuca and Nathan
Aide.
EIU would catch a big break in the third inning as two errors by the SEMO defense cost them three runs. Gallaher and
Tarron Lawson both reached on errors while Lawson's would drive in a run to move EIU closer. Akbar would then deliver his two RBI single over second base to tie the game at five a piece.
Birdsong would put up some of his best work on the season in this game as he only allowed two hits in his five innings of work. His eight strikeouts are good for second this season by him in a single outing (Murray State - 9).
Aide would join the action with a double to lead off the sixth inning. He was hit home thanks to a sac fly from Doyle to give him his fourth RBI on the day. This was the first lead the Panthers had all day against SEMO. Doyle would also hit an insurance run in the eighth inning to score Aide, and allowed
Blake Malatestinic to close out in the ninth.
The Panthers would go on to win game two by a final score of 7-5. EIU scored seven runs on eight hits with no errors. SEMO would score five runs on nine hits with three errors.
Game three is scheduled for Satruday at 10:00 a.m. at Coaches Stadium. Livestats will be provided.
