Mississippi State Downs EIU In Baseball

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Eastern Illinois had one bad inning on Tuesday night costing the Panthers a chance for an upset over No. 20 Mississippi State.  

The Bulldogs scored four runs in the bottom of the third to win 5-2. EIU falls to 0-14 on the year. EIU will play at Jacksonville State this week for Ohio Valley Conference action. MSU improved to 17-5.

EIU jumped out to a 1-0 lead scoring against MSU starter Lucas Laster in the second inning. Isaac Sampen doubled and came around to score on a single up the middle by Joseph Duncan.
 
Laster (3-0) worked a complete game allowing eight hits and two runs while striking out seven.

EIU starter Ben Hughes worked two solid innings and picked up the first out of the third. The EIU bullpen loaded the bases following the first out with two walks and a batter hit by pitch. Wes Rea delivered the big shot clearing the bases with a double to left center. Rea was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI.  Rea would come around to score on a double by Reid Humphreys. Humphreys was 2-for-4.

EIU scored its second run in the fifth with Cale Hennemann driving home a run with a single. Mississippi State scored its run in the bottom of the fifth on a balk.

EIU was led at the plate by Brant Valach with a 2-for-3 day. Christian Slazinik (0-3) was tagged with the loss for EIU.
 
“We came out with great energy. We took the lead early and battled until the end of the game,” EIU head coach Jim Schmitz said. “We had one bad inning but I liked how Ben Hughes, Matt Doherty, Andy Fisher and Chase Thurston came out and attacked their hitters. We are getting closer to where we want to be.”