The Panthers dropped a mid-week home game to cross-state rival Western Illinois at Coaches Stadium yesterday, falling 4-0 to the Leathernecks.

The Panthers out-hit Western 6-5, but they also left 10 runners on base to the Leathernecks’ five, and head coach Jim Schmitz put it simply.

“If you don’t score, you don’t win,” said Schmitz. “I hate to use clichés, but we’re really shooting ourselves in the foot. It’s not about hits, it’s about scoring runs and we’re not doing that. We’ve got to take advantage of opportunities and we’re not doing that.”

In the third inning, the Panthers got runners on first and second base with nobody out before senior shortstop Cam Strang struck out attempting to lay down a bunt and junior Zach Borenstein was picked off of at first base.

“We put a steal on there,” said Borenstien on the pickoff. “I got too much of an aggressive lead, just go a little bit lazy out there.”

The Panthers started sophomore right-hander Troy Barton on the mound, and he went 4.2 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits while walking one and striking out two. Barton then gave way to junior lefty Darin Worman who had a rough start, allowing a walk and a two-run double, before retiring 11 consecutive Leathernecks.

“(Worman) gave up the big hit,” said Coach Schmitz. “Obviously, you want to come in and get it done. To me it was the routine double play to (junior second-baseman) Brad (Schweigert) that we didn’t turn.”

On the play, Schmitz referred to the Leatherneck runner in motion with the pitch and was safe at second before the return throw to first retired the batter. The play, had it been turned, would have ended the inning before Worman even entered the game.

Schmitz said he’s searching for a pre-game routine for mid-week to get his team going.

“We’re not playing well at home. We’ve really played well here at home, we were doing early work in the morning to get (the team) going, (yesterday) we did nothing so I don’t know what the answer is. We’ll figure it out.”

The Panthers will now go to Chicago State today and take on the Cougars, a team they beat 1-0 at Coaches Stadium on March 22. That game was started by Barton, who started yesterday, so Schmitz said freshman right-hander Joe Greenfield will get the start against Chicago State after pitching well at Indiana State last Wednesday.

Brad Kupic can be reached at 581-7944 or [email protected]