SIUE Uses Power In Baseball Win Over EIU

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- SIUE hit five home runs Thursday and P. J. Schuster won his fourth consecutive start as the Cougars downed Eastern Illinois 6-2 in the opener of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Simmons Baseball Complex.

The Cougars improved to 18-10 in OVC pay and 19-27 overall. Eastern Illinois fell to 12-35 overall and 8-20 in the OVC. The Cougars are guaranteed to finish no worse than third in the OVC and the 18 wins continue to build on a program-best for OVC wins.

"You always like to take the opener," SIUE Head Coach Tony Stoecklin said. "It makes the path to winning the series shorter. As far as the 18 wins, we move the bar higher with each win and I'm happy with that."

The five home runs hit by the Cougars tied a Division I era record. SIUE also hit five home runs in a game earlier this season against Murray State.

Schuster improved to 8-3 with the win. He tossed 7 1/3 innings allowing just two runs on seven hits. He tied his career high with nine strikeouts and did not walk a batter. Schuster left the game without allowing a run, but with two runners on base. Both runners ended up scoring.

In eight starts this season, Schuster has worked less than six innings only once and has thrown at least seven innings in each of his last four starts. His eight wins lead the OVC and are the most for a Cougar pitcher since Spencer Patton went 9-3 in 2011. Patton is now pitching for the Texas Rangers.

"He's been fantastic down the stretch," Stoecklin said of Schuster. "He's worked hard all year. It's also the culmination of years of hard work. He's put in his time to get to this point. I'm not surprised that I'm seeing it because he's always bought into the process of putting in the work."

Keaton Wright got the Cougars on the board early, connecting for an opposite-field solo home run to left field in the bottom of the first inning against EIU starter Jake Johansmeier.

"Even with the wind blowing out good pitching will beat good hitting," Stoecklin said. "Both pitchers were making pitches. Neither gave the other team much to elevate and hit well. He made a mistake up and away and Keaton can handle those pitches."

Wright made it 2-0 in the sixth inning when he led off with a home run to right field. Alec Saikal followed with a single to left. Two batters later Dustin Woodcock launched his sixth home run of the year, a two-run shot to right field, to make it 4-0 SIUE.

Chase Green, an Effingham High School graduate, led off the seventh inning with his fifth home run which cleared the grass berm behind the left field wall. Green's homer was enough to chase Johansmeier. He fell to 2-6 with the loss. He allowed five runs on 10 hits over six innings.

The Panthers scored twice in the top of the eighth inning on four hits against Schuster and SIUE reliever Zach Malach. Malach finished the game with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed two hits and struck out one.

Teutopolis graduate Bobby Wenthe was back in the lineup for EIU but did not get a hit.

Senior catcher Drew Johnson got in on the act to start the bottom of the eighth inning. Panthers reliever Garrison Stenger left a pitch up in the zone and Johnson hammered it to left for his second career home run. Johnson's blast cleared the scoreboard with room to spare.

"I'm so happy for him," Stoecklin said of Johnson. "Here's a senior who's coming down the stretch that is getting some playing time. He's always worked hard and he's taking advantage of the opportunity before him. He put a good swing on that ball and deposited about as far as he could."

Woodcock and Wright each finished with two hits for the Cougars.

Demetre Taylor was 3 for 4 and drove in a run for EIU. Joe Duncan and Caleb Howell each had two hits for the Panthers.

The two teams will continue the series with a 6 p.m. game Friday at Simmons Complex.