Baseball team salvages one game in weekend series

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Josh Saxton

Caleb Howell runs to third base in the game vs Southeastern Missouri Friday in Coaches Stadium.

Bob Reynolds, Sports Editor

The Eastern baseball team won one game of a three-game series against Southeast Missouri over the weekend at Coaches Stadium.

The Panthers lost 21-1 in game one, but won 9-5 in game two.

Trailing 5-4 in game two in the top of the seventh, Eastern freshman outfielder Joe Duncan reached over the wall in left-center to bring back what would have been a three-run home run from Redhawk junior Ryan Rippee.

The Panthers would come back to score five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to give them a 9-5 lead.

Eastern red-shirt junior Demetre Taylor singled to right center, which scored senior Caleb Howell to cut the Redhawk lead to 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Howell doubled down the left-field line, scoring Duncan and junior infielder Mitch Gasbarro to give the Panthers a 6-5 lead in the top of the seventh.

Taylor hit a sacrifice fly to left field, which scored sophomore infielder Cale Hennemann to push the Panther lead to 7-5.

Marshawn Taylor was hit by a pitch, which forced in Howell to make it 8-5. Then, senior infielder Adam Casson singled home Valach to make it 9-5.

Eastern coach Jimmy Schmitz said he was happy with the way the Panthers were able to tack on runs.

“Early in the game I thought we had some pretty good at-bats,” he said. “With these guys, or any guys, this game was going to be like this. We got some walks. I was just really happy with the way we added on.”

Eastern junior pitcher Jake Johansmeier started the game and threw six innings, allowing five runs on nine hits and got the no-decision.

Sophomore Chase Thurston picked up his first win of the season after pitching three innings, allowing no runs on three hits and he walked one.

Senior Travis Hayes took his fourth loss of the season on the mound for Southeast Missouri after pitching 6 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs, six total, on eight hits and walked two.

Redhawk junior starting pitcher Alex Winkelman pitched nine innings and allowed no runs in the final game of a three-game series Sunday against Eastern.

Winkelman got his first win of the season and allowed six hits on the day, while striking out four Eastern hitters.

All the runs in the game came by Southeast Missouri in the first two innings off Eastern senior starting pitcher Garrison Stenger.

Senior infielder Andy Lennington singled up the middle scoring junior Garrett Gandolfo to give the Redhawks a 1-0 lead.

Gandolfo scored on a single by Dalton Hewitt, which tacked on the Redhawks second run of the game.

Rippee singled up the middle, which plated Hewitt and Lennington to give the Redhawks a 4-0 lead.

Senior outfielder Brendon Neel added on the Redhawks’ fifth run of the day on a home run to left field.

Stenger took the loss on the mound for the Panthers by going two innings and allowing four runs, five total, and he walked two batters.

Freshman pitcher Andy Fisher pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed just two hits and three walks on the day. Fisher allowed no runs in his outing Sunday.

Valach went 3-for-4 on Sunday with three singles for the Panthers.

The Panthers fall to 3-26 on the season and will be back in action Tuesday at Coaches Stadium at 2 p.m. against Benedictine University.

Bob Reynolds can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].