Senior Matt Shelton (3-1) picked up the win in relief for ISU.  Shelton gave up just two hits while striking out two batters in two full innings of work in relief of starter Jake Petricka and relievers Scott Harlan, Kevin Mann and David Gurbach.  Richie Derbak (1-2), who started the game as the Panthers designated hitter, suffered the loss after giving up the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

The Panthers scored a run in each of the first two innings to take an early advantage over the Sycamores.  Brett Nommensen led off the game with a deep home run to center field and Zach Borenstein drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the second inning to make the score 2-0.  However, the Sycamores answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run home run by catcher Bronco Lafrenz to knot the game at 2-2.

EIU answered back with three runs on four hits in the top of the third inning to regain the lead at 5-2.  Zach Skidmore led off the inning with a home run to left field and Borenstein picked up his second RBI of the game with a single through the right side of the infield.  Later in the inning, Curt Restko drove in Derbak with a sacrifice fly to cap off the rally.  In the top of the fourth, the Panthers extended that lead to 6-2 on a RBI single by Skidmore that scored Nommensen.

The score would stay that way until the bottom of the fifth inning, when the Sycamores put six runs on the scoreboard to take an 8-6 lead.  With the bases loaded and one out, Luke Fieser walked to force in Kyle Burnam from third base and keep the bases loaded.  Brian Jett then singled to score Brady Shoemaker from third base and keep the bases juiced for Lafrenz, who forced the second bases-loaded walk of the inning to score Nick Ciolli from third base and make the score 6-5.  Brian Ramirez kept the inning going and picked up a RBI when he grounded out to the pitcher as Fieser scored to tie the game at 6-6.  Now with two outs and runners on second and third, Pascual Del Real capped off the six-run inning with a single into center field that scored Jett and Lafrenz and make the score 8-6.

Ramirez then added a RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning to extend ISU's lead to 9-6 heading into the eighth inning.  However, the Panthers rallied in the top of the eighth to score three runs and knot the game at 9-9.  Nommensen struck the big blow as he hit his second home run of the game and his fourth of the year, this time a two-run shot, to cut the Sycamores' lead to 9-8.  Later in the inning, Cam Strang would score on a RBI single by Alex Gee and tied the game at 9-9 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning.

With one out in the bottom of the inning, Fieser singled to start the ISU rally.  He then stole second base and advanced to third base on a throwing error by the EIU catcher.  Jett then gave his team the lead for good as he singled through the left side of the infield to give ISU a 10-9 advantage.  Shelton then shut down the Panthers in order in the top of the ninth to pick up his third win of the season in relief.

Lafrenz led the way for the Sycamores at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored, while Jett finished 2-for-2 with two RBI and three runs scored.  Ramirez and Del Real also drove in two runs each while Burnam chipped in two hits for the Sycamores.

The Sycamores return to action on Friday, March 12, when they travels to Memphis, Tenn., to take on the Memphis Tigers for the first of three games over the weekend.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST at USA Stadium.