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CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois baseball (25-16, 6-9 OVC) wins game three and the series against Tennessee Tech (14-27, 5-10) with a final score of 11-10. EIU and TTU combined for a total of seven home runs on Sunday.

Nicholas Rucker had the hot bat on Sunday after blasting two home runs over the scoreboard in left field. Cole Gober had the third home run for EIU while Lincoln Riley and Logan Eickhoff both had two RBI.

Starting pitcher Tyler Conklin (W, 4-5) picked up his fourth win of the season after throwing in 5.0 innings and allowing seven hits and seven runs while also striking out seven. Peyton Calitri (L, 3-5)only threw in 1.1 innings and allowed seven runs on five hits.

QUICK STATS
Nicholas Rucker: 2-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
Lincoln Riley: 1-4, 2 RBI, 2 R, HBP
Grant Lashure: 2-4, R
Tyler Conklin: W (4-5), 5.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 K
Zane Robbins: S (3), 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 K

Conklin started off with a great start on the mound with five strikeouts in the first two innings keeping Tennessee Tech off the scoreboard. Panthers would then score seven runs in the second to take the early lead.

Rucker led off the inning with a solo home run, his first of the day. With the bases loaded, Riley hit a single into the gap in center to drive in two more. Eickhoff, Ryan Ignoffo and Kolten Poorman all had an RBI to help EIU take a 7-0 lead.

Tennessee Tech hit their first of four home runs of the game in the third after a two-run shot by John Dyer. Cole Gober followed that in the bottom of the third with the second straight solo home run by EIU. Panthers would lead 8-2 after three.

In the bottom of the fourth, Rucker hit his second home run with a two-run bomb just over the scoreboard. Tech would score three more in the fifth after Dyer's second home run of the game. The Golden Eagles would cut into the lead with a score of 10-5.

Eastern Illinois scored their final run of the game in the fifth with an RBI double by Eickhoff to score Riley. Conklin would come out in the sixth, but would be replaced by Colton Coca after giving up a home run to Preston Ford.

Coca had a throwing error to first base which would bring around two runs. Tennessee Tech then scored another run on a fielder's choice to cut the lead to 11-9.

After Ford's second home run for the Golden Eagles, Zane Robbins entered the game and pitched the final three innings. With two outs and the bases loaded in the seventh, Eickhoff made a diving play in left field to get out of the jam.

Catcher Grant Lashure threw out a runner in the top of the ninth before Robbins ended the game with his third strikeout to secure EIU's 25th win of the season.

EIU scored 11 runs on 11 hits with one error. Tennessee Tech scored 10 runs on 11 hits with no errors. Eastern will be back in action next weekend as they travel to Morehead State on Friday, May 5. For more information go to eiupanthers.com.