Illinois Outlasts EIU In Baseball Action

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Eastern Illinois and No. 12 Illinois traded the lead early with both teams having a big inning, but in the end it was a five-run fourth inning that proved to be the difference for Illinois during a 14-10 midweek win at Coaches Stadium.

EIU fell to 1-24 on the year and will host Indiana State on Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Coaches Stadium. Illinois improved to 25-6-1.

The Fighting Illini opened the game with a five-run first inning as Jason Goldstein hit a grand slam after a pair of walks and a Ryan Nagle double that loaded the bases. Goldstein would drive home six runs for Illinois on the day going 3-of-5 at the plate. David Kerian closed out the inning with a solo home run.

EIU fought back with two runs in the second with Marshawn Taylor driving home one of the runs. The Panthers took the lead in the third with four runs against starter Cody Sedlock. Cale Hennemann and Caleb Howell each drove home a run with Jason Scholl driving home two more runs with a single up the middle. Scholl has now reached base safely in 11 straight games.

After two solid innings of relief on the mound in the second and third inning, EIU reliever Andy Fisher (0-3) could not get out of the fourth as Illinois scored five runs to retake the lead. Goldstein and Casey Fletcher started the big inning with each driving home a run. Ryan Roper delivered a sacrifice fly and Adam Walton had an RBI single to center.

J.D. Nielsen (1-1) pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless baseball to pick up the win. Reid Roper closed out the ninth but not before EIU provided some dramatics as Brant Valach came to the plate with the bases loaded as the tying run. Valach lifted a ball deep to the warning track that was caught to end the game.

In the ninth EIU scored two runs with Bobby Wenthe, a Teutopolis High School graduate, hitting an RBI single up the middle and Howell collecting an RBI with a bases loaded hit by pitch. Howell drove home three runs as he hit safely in his eighth straight game. Wenthe was 2-for-2 at the plate after entering the game in the eighth as a pinch hitter.

EIU scored one run in the seventh on a Jack Martin RBI single to right.  The Panthers have three pinch hitters collect hits in the eighth producing a run.

Illinois added runs in the sixth on a Walton RBI double as he was 2-for-4.  Ryan Roper hit a solo home run in the eighth and Goldstein had an RBI double in the ninth.

EIU finished with an 18-11 hit advantage as both teams stranded double digit runners on base. Valach was 3-for-5 for EIU while Taylor and Hunter Morris both had two hits.