With the wind blowing out at Coaches Stadium in the series opener between Eastern Illinois and Belmont on Friday afternoon, the Bruins took full advantage by hitting six home runs and taking game one by a score of 21-9 over the Panthers. Eastern Illinois and Belmont will continue their series tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Coaches Stadium.
With the loss the Panthers drop to 6-32 (1-15 OVC), with Belmont moving to 21-16 (10-6 OVC).
After a quiet first inning by both teams, Belmont broke the scoring column first in the top of the second. Tyler Walsh drew a two-out walk and wound up on third following a stolen base and wild pitch. Walsh scored on the next play on a Kyle Conger single to give Belmont a 1-0 lead.
The Panthers answered back in the bottom half of the frame batting around and scoring six runs in the inning. Frankie Perrone hit a pop fly on the infield, but with the wind playing a factor, the ball dropped in the infield untouched for a single. Jason Scholl followed with a walk to put runners on first and second. Hunter Morris singled to drive in Perrone and moved up to second base on some smart base running as no Belmont players covered second base and allowed Morris to move up the extra 90 feet. After an error by Belmont loaded the bases for the Panthers, Joseph Duncan plated two runs with a base knock. The Panthers once again loaded the bases and Demetre Taylor brought in another run as he worked a free pass. Perrone came up to hit for the second time in the inning and came through with another base hit to score two runs and give EIU a 6-1 lead.
Belmont cut into the Eastern Illinois lead in the top of the third inning on a Tyler Fullerton two-run home run to put the score at 6-3.
Eastern Illinois got a run back in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI double off the bat of Scholl.
Belmont overtook the lead 13-7 in the top half of the sixth inning, scoring 10 runs on six hits against Eastern Illinois pitching.
The Panthers scored a run in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI groundout by Mitch Gasbarro.
Belmont put the game out of reach in the final three innings of the game scoring two in the seventh, one in the eighth, and five in the ninth.
The Panthers would not go away without a fight in the bottom of the ninth inning. Jackson Mueller led off with a single to left. Matt Dunavant doubled to put runners on second and third. Tyler Tesmond singled to left, plating the only run of the inning for the Panthers as the game finished with a score of 21-9.
Jake Haberer took the loss for the Panthers, allowing four runs in 0.2 innings pitched.
Duncan and Perrone recorded two hits and two RBIs each to lead the Eastern Illinois offense.
Panthers give up 21 runs in loss to Belmont
Effingham, IL / Effingham Radio
Apr 25, 2016 | 6:00 AM