PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Eastern Illinois baseball (10-4, 0-0 OVC) secured their sixth straight win of the season after an 8-2 Wednesday win over Arkansas Pine-Bluff (7-9, 0-0 SWAC). The win marked back-to-back season with at least 10 wins before their 15th game.
Lincoln Riley collected two hits during the game along with two RBI.
Cade Zalewski also had two hits including his sixth home run of the season to lead EIU.
Joey Hagen and
Jared Evans also had doubles for the Panthers.
Nick Laxner (W, 1-0) earned his first win in three appearances this season after throwing the first five innings of the game, only allowing three hits and two runs with five strikeouts. Andre Greene (L, 2-2) suffered the loss for the Golden Lions after throwing one inning and allowing three runs.
QUICK STATS
Cade Zalewski: 2-5, HR, RBI, R
Lincoln Riley: 2-5, 2 RBI, R, 2 SB
Jared Evans: 2-4, 2B, 2 R
Nick Laxner: W (1-0), 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 5 K
Jack Potteiger: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K
Eastern's offense came to play early on in the first inning with three runs in the opening frame. Riley led off the inning with a single and stole a base before making his way to third on a wild pitch. After a
Ryan Ignoffo walk, Riley would score on a passed ball by Pine Bluff.
Cole Gober would ground out to the shortstop but not before scoring Ignoffo in the process. Hagen would add the final RBI in the inning with a double to bring home Evans and give EIU a 3-0 lead. The Panthers have scored first in eight of their 10 wins this season.
Laxner retired the first six Golden Lions he faced in the first two innings including three strikeouts. EIU would tack on three more runs in the third. With the bases loaded, Evans would score on a wild pitch by Brandon Little. Riley would then single to right field to bring home two more Panthers.
Already with a 6-0 lead, Zalewski delivered his sixth home run of the season in the top of the fourth to push the lead to seven. Laxner would finish off the side heading into the fifth.
The Golden Lions would get on the board in the fifth after RBI singles by Aiden Martinez and Micah Brown to cut EIU's lead to 7-2. Laxner would end his day only allowing three hits.
Jack Potteiger entered the game for the Panthers in the sixth and go right to work recording three strikeouts in just two innings. EIU also turned a 6-4-3 double play in the sixth with
Ja'Lil Akbar,
Lucas DiLuca and Zalewski.
Hagen put the finishing touch on the game with a sac fly in the top of the ninth to score Gober for the eighth and final run. Closer
Zane Robbins pitched the ninth for EIU and struck out two.
Eastern Illinois would score eight runs on 10 hits with no errors. The Golden Lions of Pine Bluff scored two runs on four hits with no errors.
The Panthers will be back in action this weekend for a scheduled three-game series at Illinois State. Games are subject to change due to weather, more information will be released on eiupanthers.com.
