MONROE, La. – The Eastern Illinois baseball team (0-2, 0-0 OVC) dropped both games of their opening day double header at Louisiana Monroe (2-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) on Friday.

GAME 1

Louisiana Monroe overcame a fast start from EIU to down the Panthers 11-7 in game one.

After loading the bases with two outs in the first, the Panthers plated a pair of runs, with Cade Zalewski being hit by a pitch to bring in the first score before a Zak Goodwin RBI walk tacked on another.

After the Warhawks were held scoreless in their half of the first, EIU extended their lead to four with a Pierce Bauerle two RBI double in the second inning.

The lead was short-lived, however, as ULM brought across six runs in the bottom of the second, which included a go-ahead three-run homer off the bat of clean-up man Jake Haggard.

The next four innings were completely scoreless with both pitching staffs settling into a nice groove, but the Warhawks broke the stalemate in the bottom of the seventh with a Bryce Blaser solo home run.

ULM hung another crooked number in the eighth to stretch their lead to seven as three different Warhawks recorded RBIs in the frame.

Those insurance runs proved vital, as a Brett Stanley three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth put the Panthers back in the scoring column and cut the deficit to four.

However, Eastern was unable to come any closer as three of the next four batters were retired to close the game.

GAME 2

Friday's second contest was a story of missed opportunities for the Panthers, as they stranded a total of 13 base runners in a 8-1 setback.

Following a scoreless opening frame, a Garcia sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second plated the first run of the ballgame for ULM.

EIU loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the third, but were held scoreless before ULM added another run in the bottom of the inning to take an early 2-0 lead.

The Warhawks had two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the fourth before their next six batters reached base as ULM pushed four more runs across to put the Panthers in a steep seven-run hole.

A trio of walks loaded up the bases again for EIU in the fifth, but they were again unable to take advantage, bringing their left on base total to eight stranded through five innings.

After ULM added another run in the bottom of the sixth, Eastern scored their first run on a Sam Wiese sacrifice fly that plated Peyton Wilson in the seventh.

The game's final two innings were scoreless, with Eli Green striking out the ULM side in the eighth before Eastern left two more runners on base in the top of the ninth.

The series finale is currently set for Sunday at 1 p.m.