JONESBORO, Ark. – The Eastern Illinois baseball team (2-10, 0-0 OVC) got back in the win column on Saturday as they split their doubleheader at Arkansas State (10-5, 0-0 Sun Belt). After dropping the opener, the Panthers earned a 6-3 victory in game two to snap their eight-game losing streak and even up the series.
Arkansas State 20, Eastern Illinois 3
In the day's first game, Arkansas State overpowered Eastern with a 20-3 route in seven innings. The Red Wolves scored 15 runs through the first three innings to break the game wide open.
Eastern got on the board first with a
Michael O'Conor single that plated
Kolten Poorman in the top of the first inning. The advantage was short lived however, as A-State responded with four runs in the bottom of the first to open up an early lead.
The Red Wolves' bats stayed hot in the second inning as they put up five more runs, including four off a Dylan DeButy grand slam. They hung another crooked number in the third inning with six runs to make the score 15-1.
EIU would eventually get back in the scoring column with a
Cade Zalewski two-run homer in the seventh, but by that point the game was well in hand.
Colton Coca (0-1) suffered the loss for Eastern, while Jelle van der Lelie picked up the win.
Eastern Illinois 6, Arkansas State 3
The Panthers bounced back in a big way in game two with a 6-3 win. Some solid pitching and a five run seventh inning gave Eastern the edge.
The Red Wolves took an early lead with a Daedrick Cail RBI single in the bottom of the first inning. The teams then traded scoreless at bats in the second and third before EIU broke through in the fourth with a
Kolten Poorman double that drove home
Cade Zalewski.
A-State regained the lead in the fifth inning with a Cason Tollet sacrifice fly, but a five-run seventh from the Panthers would put Eastern ahead, where they would stay for good.
The scoring barrage started with a
Dylan Drumke single down the left field line that drove home
Grant Lashure to knot things up and load the bases for
Cole Gober.
Gober delivered. With a full count, the senior smashed a ball to deep left center to clear the bases and give the Panthers a 6-2 lead. It was EIU's first grand slam of the season.
EIU reliever
Jonathon Hanscom entered the game in the bottom of the seventh to shut the door on A-State. Through the final three innings, he allowed just one run on two hits, while recording three strikeouts.
Chaney Trout was credited with the win for Eastern, while Arkansas State's Bryce Schares suffered the loss. Trout pitched just one inning but allowed zero runs and no hits to keep the Panthers' deficit at one heading into the seventh inning.
Freshman
Bryce Riggs had a strong outing in his first start of the season, throwing 5.0 innings and allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out three ASU batters.
The Panthers will be back in action on Sunday for the series finale. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
