EIU Cruises To Baseball Win, WIU Downs SIUE

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois baseball jumped out to a 15-0 lead in the first three innings Wednesday afternoon as the Panthers cruised to their second midweek win at home with a 15-6 victory over Robert Morris Peoria.

EIU hit seven home runs and scored 14 runs on Tuesday in a win over Saint Louis.  On Wednesday that offensive fire power continued in the early innings as EIU scored two in the first, five in the second and eight in the third against three Robert Morris pitchers.

Hunter Morris started what would be a big day for the redshirt junior with a two-run single to right center that scored Dougie Parks and Joe Duncan.

In the second inning Morris came up with the bases loaded and delivered a grand slam for his ninth home run of the season putting the Panthers up 7-0.  Parks had an RBI single earlier in the frame.

Hunter Beetley opened the third inning with a home run before EIU took advantage of five wild pitches and four walks to add to the lead.  Jimmy Huber had an RBI double and Andrew Curran drove in two more runs with a single to left.

On the mound Blake Malatestinic allowed one hit in three innings of work in a pre-determined start to pick up his first win of the season improving to 1-3.  EIU would close out the game with four relief pitchers.

Robert Morris scored two runs in the fourth with home runs by Brandon Crose and Ryan Slusher.  Crose would drive in two more runs for the Eagles with a single up the middle in the fifth.  Crose, Paxton Batson and Joe Culbertson all finished with two hits for RMU.

Morris was 3-for-3 to lead EIU at the plate as he was the only EIU player with multiple hits in the game.  The Panthers had 15 position players see time during the game with multiple line-up changes in the fourth.

The Panthers improved to 15-25 overall and will host Morehead State in an OVC series this weekend at home.

Luke Abraham suffered the loss for Robert Morris falling to 2-3 as the Eagles are now 7-15 on the year.

WIU Downs SIUE

The SIUE baseball team fell 8-2 in a midweek clash against Western Illinois Wednesday.

The Leathernecks (10-22) limited the Cougars (10-29) to just five hits on the night. Jack Carberry (1-0) recorded the win for WIU while Brett Taucher (1-1) picked up the loss for SIUE.

Western Illinois got things rolling early when Bailey Montgomery scored off an error by the Cougars in the 1st inning.

Taucher pitched just two complete inning for the Cougars and gave up only one run on two hits while striking out three Leatherneck batters.

Western Illinois then piled on four runs in the third inning.

Montgomery scored his second run of the night for the Leathernecks after Steve McShane was hit by pitch with the bases loaded. CJ Schaeffer and Alex Dorethy scored when Drue Galassi singled to right. Dillon Sears then reached first on a fielder's choice sending McShane home for the fourth run of the inning.

All four runs in the third were credited to SIUE's A.J. Johnson who came in for relief of Taucher.

The Cougars then gave up two runs in the fourth inning and one in the fifth inning.   WIU