CHARLESTON, Ill. – The Eastern Illinois baseball team (18-17, 8-5 OVC) swept their doubleheader against Tennessee Tech (24-15, 9-5 OVC) on Thursday to pick a pair of key conference victories. The Panthers held off the Golden Eagles for an 8-6 win in game one before taking game two 7-6 in walk-off fashion.

Eastern Illinois 8, Tennessee Tech 6

In the afternoon's opening contest, the EIU offense generated eight runs on 12 hits and three TTU errors, with just three of Eastern's runs being earned. Chris Worcester led the attack with three hits in five at-bats with an RBI. It was Worcester's team-leading 15th multi-hit performance, including his fourth three-hit outing.

Zak Goodwin and Joey Hagen also posted multiple hits with two knocks apiece, while Hagen recorded a team-leading two RBIs.

Anthony Solis (4-1) picked up his fourth win of the season after allowing three runs on five hits with a strikeout through 5.1 innings. Dalton Boruff earned his third save of the season after giving up one run on two hits with a strikeout to close the game.

EIU got the scoring started early with a Zak Goodwin RBI single that scored Mike O'Conor, who had singled and stolen second to reach scoring position.

The Panthers extended their lead in the bottom of the second after a fielding error allowed EIU to load the bases, setting the stage for a Chris Worcester RBI base hit that scored Ethan Rossi.

After a pitching change, Tyler Castro scored on a Brett Stanley sacrifice fly to make the score 3-0, but the inning ended after Worcester got caught in no man's land between first and second.

The Golden Eagles scored their first run of the game in the top of the third with a Mack Whitcomb two RBI double.

Following a scoreless fourth inning, the Panthers took advantage of a Tennessee Tech error to plate three unearned runs in the fifth.

Following a Chris Worcester leadoff single and Brett Stanley sac bunt, a throwing error by the TTU third baseman allowed O'Conor to reach base and advance to second while Worcester moved up and scored due to the ball leaving the field of play.

After a Zak Goodwin groundout moved O'Conor up another 90 feet, Jake Ferguson delivered with an RBI triple before coming home to score on a Joey Hagen RBI double that extended the lead to 6-1.

However, the Golden Eagles immediately responded with three runs of their own in the top of the sixth. After two of the inning's first three batters reached on base hits, Eddie Garza doubled to drive in Nicho Jordan.

With two runners on base, back-to-back walks brought in another run before Garza scored on an Owen Lee ground out to trim the lead back to two.

In the bottom of the sixth, Eastern capitalized on another pair of Tech miscues as Tyler Castro scored on a passed ball after moving to third on a wild pitch.

The Panthers tacked on another run in the seventh as Zak Goodwin reached base with a leadoff double before scoring on another Joey Hagen RBI base hit.

Tennessee Tech trimmed one run off the lead in the eighth with a Owen Lee RBI single, but left two stranded after having runners on the corners with just one away.

The Golden Eagles looked to have more life in the ninth after a Nicho Jordan leadoff homer and Jackson Rooker walk, but a fly out followed by a 4-6-3 double play slammed the door on any hopes of a comeback, as Eastern secured the 8-6 victory.

Eastern Illinois 7, Tennessee Tech 6

In game two, all seven of EIU's runs were earned as they posted 12 hits compared to just six for TTU. Jake Ferguson led the Eastern offense, going 3-4 with a double and an RBI. Meanwhile, Ethan Rossi went 2-2 with a triple and two RBIs.

Four EIU pitchers saw action in the game, combining to allow just one earned run. Christian Carew had the longest outing, allowing no runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts through 4.1 innings of relief.

Kole Bradley picked up his first win of the season after giving up no runs on just one hit through the game's final inning and a third.

Tech opened the scoring with one run in the second, with Nicho Jordan reaching on a walk before stealing second, advancing to third on a balk, and eventually scoring on a wild pitch.

The Golden Eagle lead was short lived, however, as EIU surged ahead with a four-spot in the bottom of the second.

Joey Hagen got things rolling with a one-out base hit before a Jake Ferguson double put runners on second and third, allowing Ethan Rossi to put Eastern ahead with the Panthers' second triple of the afternoon.

Quade Peters then drove home Rossi before stealing second and scoring on a Tyler Castro RBI single to make the score 4-1.

TTU got one back in the top of the third as Jackson Green scored on a Mack Whitcomb base hit after a fielding error with two outs had extended the inning.

Both teams went scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings before EIU broke the silence with a James Love leadoff triple followed by a Jake Ferguson RBI single in the sixth.

After Tech left two stranded with no runs in the top of the seventh, Mike O'Conor extended the EIU lead to four with a solo home run to right center in the bottom of the inning. It was O'Conor's team-high eight long ball of the season.

However, things would unravel for Eastern in the eighth, with TTU scoring four unearned runs to tie the game.

After a fielding error and walk to begin the inning put runners on first and second with no outs, the Panthers looked primed to escape the inning after back-to-back strikeouts, but consecutive two-out base hits from Nicho Jordan and Eddie Garza cut the lead in half.

With runners now on the corners, Riley Black tied the game with a double to right center before a lineout to first base stopped the bleeding for EIU.

The score remained tied entering the bottom of the ninth.

Mike O'Conor was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before moving to third on a Zak Goodwin sacrifice bunt followed by a Brett Stanley groundout.

With the winning run now 90 feet away, Sam Wiese stepped to the plate and smoked a ball at the first baseman that was too hot to handle, allowing O'Conor to score and clinch the series in walk-off fashion.

Friday's series finale is not set for 1 p.m.