Box Score
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Eastern Illinois baseball (15-7, 1-2 OVC) won their first of three games this weekend against Butler (5-20, 0-0 Big East) with a 12-0 victory in eight innings. This marks the third shutout of the season for EIU.
Nicholas Rucker and
Jared Evans hit home runs in the win for the Panthers.
Ryan Ignoffo went 4-4 in the game with three RBI. Eastern had three doubles and two home runs in the shutout.
Starting pitcher
Tyler Conklin (W, 3-2) picked up the win for the Panthers after throwing seven scoreless innings and allowing just three hits. Conklin also struck out seven bulldogs for a new season high.
QUICK STATS
Ryan Ignoffo: 4-4, 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R, BB
Cole Gober: 2-5, 2B, RBI
Nicholas Rucker: 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
Tyler Conklin: W (3-2), 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 7 K
Jackson Nicholas: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Eastern Illinois took the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning after Ignoffo hit an RBI double to score
Lincoln Riley from first. Conklin would only allow a walk in the first inning to retain the lead.
Robby Taul would lead off the third with a double and would advance to third after a sac bunt by Riley. Taul and Ignoffo would later score to give EIU a 3-0 lead. Conklin went three up three down in the bottom half of the second and wouldn't allow his first hit until the third.
Grant Lashure would drive in a run off of an error in left field to bring home Rucker in the top of the fourth. The Panthers would add two in the fifth with an RBI from Ignoffo and Gober to push the lead to six.
Conklin kept turning up the heat with two strikeouts in the bottom of the fifth inning to keep the Bulldogs off the scoreboard. Eastern would add another two runs in the sixth with an RBI from Riley and the third RBI from Ignoffo.
The Panthers kept pouring on the runs in the seventh and eighth innings with a sac RBI from Taul, a two-run home run from Rucker and a solo shot from pinch hitter Evans to give EIU their 12th and final run of the game. Nicholas would close out the game for EIU on the mound with two strikeouts.
Eastern Illinois went on to score 12 runs on 13 hits with no errors. Butler would have three hits on the afternoon with one error.
EIU and Butler will play a double header tomorrow at Coaches Stadium starting at 12:00 p.m. CT. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+ and will have livestats. For more information go to eiupanthers.com.
