Panthers Pound Cougars, 20-5 Friday

After a low-scoring game in the series opener between Eastern Illinois and SIU Edwardsville, game two brought a different story as the Panthers scored 20 runs on 22 hits en route to a 20-5 win over the Cougars. The Panthers will look to complete the series sweep over SIUE Saturday at 1 p.m. on “Senior Day” at Coaches Stadium.

Eastern Illinois improves to 14-39 (7-22 OVC), while SIUE drops to 9-39 (6-23 OVC).

The scoring started for the Panthers in the bottom of the second inning. With Tyler Tesmond on first and Nick Maton on third, Eastern Illinois executed a double steal and Maton slid in home safely before the tag to give EIU a 1-0 lead.

Mitch Gasbarro gave the Panthers a 2-0 advantage with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the second. Maton would add another run in the inning on an RBI double to right center.

After SIUE scored their first run of the game on an RBI single by Jackson Layton in the top of the fifth inning, the Panthers responded with six runs in the bottom half of the frame. With the bases loaded, Demetre Taylor drove in two runs on a single. Frankie Perrone followed the Taylor hit with a three-run shot over the wall in center. Jason Scholl kept the bats rolling in the inning with a double, and came around to score on an RBI single by Tyler Tesmond and gave Eastern Illinois a 9-1 advantage.

SIUE would again put a run on the board in the top half of the sixth, and the Panthers responded in their portion of the inning. Just as he did the inning before, Taylor drove in two runs with a base knock. Scholl singled to center to load the bases for Maton. Maton drove a ball into deep right and brought home Taylor with a sacrifice fly and put the score at 12-2.

The Cougars would rally with two outs in the top of the seventh and cut the Eastern Illinois lead to 12-3, but the Panthers showed no signs of slowing down on offense. Joseph Duncan plated the Panthers first run of the inning on an RBI double. Cale Hennemann followed the Duncan hit with an RBI triple down the right field line. Gasbarro then scored Hennemann on a sacrifice fly and extended the EIU lead to 15-3.

SIUE would keep with their pattern by scoring a single run in each of the eighth and ninth innings, but the Panthers would put the game well out of reach in the bottom of the eighth. After a Scholl double to start the inning, he quickly came around to score on an RBI single by Maton. The Panthers scored their final four runs of the game on a two-run home run by Tesmond and Gasbarro’s second home run of the game, a two-run shot as well and gave Eastern Illinois a 20-5 win.

Matt Wivinis, who picked up the win on the mound, had a strong showing on the mound in his final game as a Panther. In seven innings pitched, he allowed just two earned runs, and scattered five hits, while striking out nine. Bryan Bund pitched a scoreless inning of relief for EIU. Alex Cain finished the game on the mound for the Panthers.

Eastern Illinois pounded out 22 hits on the day. Scholl collected four hits, while Hennemann, Gasbarro, and Tesmond added three each. Taylor, Perrone, and Maton were the other Panthers to record multiple hits, totaling two hits each.