CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Eastern Illinois baseball (33-18, 13-11 OVC) earn their second straight Ohio Valley Conference sweep after defeating Southeast Missouri (26-29, 14-10 OVC) by a score of 4-2. Marks the second straight season for EIU with 33 wins.
Starting pitcher
Nick Laxner (W, 5-1) had one of his best outings of the season against the Redhawks. He pitched in 7.0 innings allowing just one earned run on four hits with two strikeouts.
Zane Robbins (S, 5)Â picked up his second save in as many games.
Ryan Ignoffo was the hero at the plate with his 15th home run of the season that put Eastern out front early on in the game.
Ben Gallaher also pitched in an RBI single to lift Panthers to their seventh straight victory.
QUICK STATS
Ryan Ignoffo: 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, R
Ben Gallaher: 1-3, RBI
Nick Laxner: W (5-1) 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 K
Colton Coca: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Zane Robbins: S (5), 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, K
For the first time in the series, the Redhawks struck first in the bottom of the first inning with an RBI single by Lincoln Andrews off of Laxner. He would go on to retire the next 16 batters he faced.
EIU would not be down for long as they would tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the second. After three straight singles to start the second, Gallaher delivered his eighth RBI of the season. SEMO got out of the inning that included a throw out to home of
Cole Gober.
It was a pitcher's dual between Laxner and Haden Dow from there on out until the fifth inning.
Chris Worcester led off with a double and was followed by
Robby Taul reaching on an error before Ignoffo blasted a three-run home run to give EIU a 4-1 lead.
SEMO was able to score another run in the seventh inning after an RBI single by Danny Sperling to cut the lead to two runs.
Colton Coca would enter in the eighth an shut the door with a runner in scoring position with two strikeouts.
Closer Robbins earned his fifth save after coming in relief in the bottom of the ninth. He struck out one in the final inning to secure the 33rd win for Eastern Illinois.
The Panthers scored four runs on seven hits with two errors while SEMO scored two runs on four hits with one error. EIU will find out who they are playing in the first round of the OVC Tournament after the conclusion of all the games today.
For more updates go to eiupanthers.com.
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