Tweet #LOYALandTRUE
MARION, Ill. - Eastern Illinois baseball (38-19) captured its third ever Ohio Valley Conference Championship after defeating No. 1 seed Morehead State by a final score of 6-5. It marked the first championship since the 2008 season for the Panthers.

EIU baseball and softball become the first pair of teams to win both OVC Championships in the same season since 2010 (Jacksonville State). The Panthers' 38th win now sets a new single season record that stood since the 1998 season (37).

With six games played during the OVC Championships, which started on Wednesday, EIU broke their previous record of games played in the tournament (5).

The winning pitcher of today's game was EIU's Tyler Conklin (W, 9-5) who becomes the only pitcher in the OVC to have nine wins this season. He becomes the seventh pitcher in EIU history with at least nine wins in a season.

After not starting in all of the previous five games for the Panthers, Jared Evans came up huge in the Championship with two hits including a double and was the deciding run of the ball game. Six different Panthers contributed an RBI during the game.

QUICK STATS
Jared Evans: 2-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R
Cole Gober: 1-3, RBI, R
Tyler Conklin: W (9-5), 3.0 IP, H, 0 R, K
Zane Robbins: S (7), 1.0 IP, 0 H, 2 K

Eastern Illinois had continued success in the first inning with three straight games scoring at least three runs. The Panthers put up five runs on the board during the first inning with four hits.
 
After Lincoln Riley and Ryan Ignoffo both reached safely to start the game, Grant Lashure hit an RBI groundout to third to score one. Cole Gober then delivered an RBI single into left field.
 
Evans and Chris Worcester both had RBI singles later in the inning Lincoln Riley was walked with the bases loaded to score the fifth run of the inning. EIU scored at least three runs in the first inning four times during the OVC Championship week.
 
Morehead State responded with a run of their own off of no hits in the bottom half of the first after Hampton walked two to start the inning. Roman Kuntz rolled over on a groundout to score one and cut into EIU's lead.
 
The Eagles came charging back in the third by scoring four runs to tie the game at 5-5. OVC Player of the Year Ryley Preece and Jackson Feltner both singled to start the inning off of Hampton. Nick Gooden grounded out for the first out but scored a run. Colton Becker then had MSU's first home run of the tournament to tie the game with a three-run home run.
 
Early runs by both teams was followed by a couple innings of scoreless baseball and pitcher duels. EIU left two runners on in both the fourth and fifth inning while Hanscom and Colton Coca got out of the jam in the fifth.
 
Conklin would enter the game in the sixth after making a start earlier in the tournament. He would go three up three down to start his appearance out of the bullpen.
 
Evans continued to impress in his first start of the entire OVC tournament with a leadoff double to start the seventh inning. He would late score off a bouncing groundout by DiLuca to give EIU their first lead since the third inning.
 
The Panther defense would hold in the bottom of the inning after Conklin got Kuntz to ground into a double play. EIU would cruise into the ninth inning setting up closer Robbins for his seventh save of the season and clinched the title. He now is tied in career saves in EIU history (18).

After the championship game, Ignoffo was named the MVP of the Championship. Nicholas Rucker, Lashure, Conklin, Robbins and Gober were all selected to the all-tournament team along with Ignoffo.

Eastern Illinois will now wait until Monday to find out where they will be playing in their NCAA regional. For more updates go to eiupanthers.com.