CHARLESTON, Ill. ? The
wind was blowing out at Coaches Stadium on Wednesday and Eastern Illinois took
full advantage against Indiana State, as the Panthers (22-5, 7-0 OVC) hit seven
home runs on way to defeating the Sycamores (17-11, 4-3 MVC) by a score of 25-7
in non-conference action.
ISU
starter Kevin Mann (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing three earned runs on
one hit while walking three Panther batters in 2.1 innings of work. EIU reliever Brian Morrell (3-1) earned the
win for the Panthers, as he allowed just two hits while striking out two ISU
batters in 2.1 scoreless innings.
The game
stayed scoreless through the first two innings, with both pitchers in control
on the mound. The Sycamores took
advantage of a pitching change by the Panthers in the top of the third inning
and took a 2-0 lead. Mike Martin came in
to pitch for EIU and Ben Ferrell greeted him with a bunt single to lead off the
inning. Ryan Strausborger then singled
into right field and extended his career-high hitting streak to 12 games.
Following
a strikeout by Nick Ciolli and a ground out by Brady Shoemaker, the Sycamores
had runners on second and third with two outs.
Tyler Graham then walked to load the bases and Luke Fieser followed with
a walk of his own to score Ferrell from third for the first run of the
game. Kyle Burnam was up next and
recorded the third straight walk of the inning and the second consecutive
bases-loaded walk to bring in Strausborger for the second run of the frame and
give ISU a two-run lead.
However,
Eastern
Illinois
quickly answered with four runs on two hits in the bottom of the inning to take
a 4-2 lead. The big blow came off the
bat of Zach Skidmore, who lifted a Scott Harlan pitch over the left field wall
for a three-run home run to put the Panthers in the lead. The Panthers then extended that lead to 6-2
in the bottom of the fourth inning, on a Ben Thoma solo home run to left field
and a RBI single by Gerik Wallsten.
The
longballs kept coming for the Panthers, as Alex Gee hit a long two-run home run
over the left field wall off Gurbach to widen the EIU lead to 8-2 in the bottom
of the fifth inning. Later in the frame,
Ryan Linquist hit a three-run home run to right center field to make the score
11-2 in favor of the Panthers.
ISU got
one of those runs back in the top of the sixth, when Strausborger scored from
third base on a RBI single by Shoemaker into left field to make the score 11-3. The Sycamores had a chance push more runs
across the plate, but left the bases loaded for the second consecutive inning
to end the scoring threat.
The
Panthers kept the scoring going, with two more home runs and six runs in the
bottom of the sixth inning to make the score 17-3. Jordan Kreke hit a three-run shot over the
left field wall early in the inning and Thoma followed right behind with his
second solo homer of the game to give the Panthers their sixth home run of the
day at the time. EIU then pushed eight
runs across the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning to extend the lead to
25-3 headed into the eighth inning.
The
Sycamores would not give up though, as they scored four runs in the top of the
ninth inning to bring the game to its final at 25-7. Joe Meggs and Brian Jett each drove in a run
with RBI singles while Koby Kraemer added a one-out, two-run single up the
middle later in the inning to score the final two runs of the inning.
Strausborger,
Ciolli and Burnam each finished with two hits in the game for ISU, while Kraemer
led the way with his two RBI in the ninth inning.
ISU
returns to action on Friday, when it begins a three-game Missouri Valley
Conference series at home against Bradley.
First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. EST at Sycamore Field.
