HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – In their first ever game against Northern Kentucky, the Eastern Illinois baseball team (4-6, 0-0 OVC) defeated NKU (6-6, 0-0 Horizon) 8-5 in Highland Heights on Friday afternoon.
The EIU offense scored eight runs, four earned, on eight hits and four errors. Three Panthers recorded multi-hit outings, includingÂ
Joey Hagen,
Peyton Wilson, and
Chris Worcester, who all posted a pair of hits.
Four Panthers also posted RBIs, led by Worcester and
Quade Peters with two apiece.
Tyler Conklin picked up the win after allowing four runs on six hits with seven strikeouts through 5.2 innings pitched.
Dalton Boruff was awarded his second save of the season after allowing no runs on no hits in the ninth inning.
EIU got the bats rolling early with a
Chris Worcester single that drove in
Brett Stanley and
Peyton Wilson to give the Panthers an early 2-0 lead.
The Norse got one back in the bottom of the first with a Miranda RBI single, but
Tyler Conklin would not allow another run until the sixth inning.
Eastern tacked on two more in the fourth after a throwing error allowed
Joey Hagen to score from second base and a
Quade Peters sac fly plated
Ethan Rossi.
After a scoreless fifth, the sixth inning featured fireworks from both sides.
In the top half of the frame, Hagan scored on a fielder's choice before a Wilson single drove in
Luke Melton. Peters also scored on a throwing error during the same play.
Later in the inning, a fielding error by the shortstop allowed Wilson to advance home to stretch the EIU lead to 8-1.
However, NKU responded with a crooked number of their own in the next at-bat, scoring three runs on a Devenport lead off homer followed by an RBI double from Paulick and RBI single from Altman.
The Norse climbed a little closer in the seventh inning Miranda sac fly to make the score 8-5.
NKU brought the tying run to the plate in both of the final two innings, but were unable to push anything across as the Panthers hung on for the win.
Game two is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.Â
