Eastern Illinois baseball (22-14, 4-7 OVC) split a Ohio Valley Conference double header on Saturday at OVC newcomer Southern Indiana (12-26, 4-10 OVC). Both offenses were on full display with a combined 66 runs in two games.
Southern Indiana scored 26 runs in game one to take the first game of the series, but the Panthers struck back in game two scoring 22 runs to split the double header. EIU and USI were supposed to play a game on Friday, but was moved due to weather.
Eastern Illinois fell in the first of two games on Saturday 6-26 against the Screaming Eagles of Southern Indiana. Starting pitcher Tyler Conklin (L, 3-5) suffered the loss for EIU after throwing in three innings and allowing seven runs and five walks.
Ben Gallaher was a mid-game substitution during game one, but delivered for EIU with two hits including a double and three RBI. Chris Worcester also had two doubles and a RBI while Nichols Rucker went 3-5 with a solo home run.
Despite lots of runs scored in the game, the first run of the game was not scored til the third inning by the Panthers. Kolten Poorman had a sac fly to score the first run and Rucker had his solo home run to give EIU the early 2-0 lead.
USI would strike back with seven runs of their own in the bottom of the third including a grand slam by Evan Kahre. Southern Indiana had five hits in the third and also drew two walks off of Conklin.
Worcester would bring home another run for EIU in the top of the fourth before USI scored 11 runs in the bottom of the inning. Eastern Illinois used three different pitchers in the inning before finally getting out of the jam.
The Screaming Eagles only had five hits during the fourth, but were walked eight times in the inning including three straight by relief pitcher Chaney Trout. USI would hold an 18-3 advantage heading into the fifth.
Gallaher would have the final three RBI for the Panthers after scoring two in the fifth and one in the seventh, but it was not enough hold off USI from taking game one.
Eastern Illinois scored six runs on 13 hits with one error while USI scored 26 runs on 19 hits with one error.
Source : EIU Panthers
