A 13 run surge in the sixth and seventh innings powered Eastern to a 16-9 win over Morehead State in the first game of the three-game Ohio Valley Conference series on Friday at Frost Field at Coaches Stadium. 

Three of the Panthers’ six total home runs came in the sixth inning. The first one off the bat of senior infielder Mike O’Conor, who hit a three-run home run over the left field wall. It was his first hit since hitting for the cycle on March 15 against Memphis. 

He hit the home run against Eagle freshman right-hander Cole Wells, who came in for relief for the starter, sophomore left-hander Kamden Hawks. 

The Panthers continued to hit Wells hard with graduate infielder Chris Worcester copying O’Conor with a three-run home run over the left field wall. Then, redshirt senior outfielder Joey Hagen finished off the seven-run inning with a solo home run to center field. 

“Hitting is contagious,” head coach Jason Anderson said. “The midweek game [against NIU on Tuesday] and nobody got any hits, so nothing happened. Today, they started to get going, and they all started getting hits after it.” 

Dipping into the bullpen after Hawks allowed a single to senior outfielder Ethan Rossi and a walk to senior catcher Zak Goodwin in the sixth ended up hurting Morehead State. 

O’Conor and Worcester both said Hawks’s fastball was giving the Panthers (14-9, 4-0) issues. 

“He had a weird fastball, and he came at us with a lot of them,” Worcester said. “It had some ride to it [meaning it stays higher than hitters expect because it has a lot of backspin], it was getting on us.” 

Before the sixth inning, Hawks allowed three hits, two runs and four walks. 

In the seventh inning, Morehead State continued to face pitching struggles. The Eagles (11-15, 0-4) had to use three pitchers to get one out each.  

Senior right-hander Ethan Davis started the inning and allowed three runs before handing the ball to redshirt junior right-hander Carter Owens, who also allowed three runs. However, the bleeding stopped at junior left-hander Cody Luttrell, who didn’t allow any runs before getting his one out. 

The high-scoring inning again started by O’Conor, who sent the ball out of left field again. This time with a solo home run to lead off the inning. 

Then, later in the seventh, he hit an RBI double. A six RBI and three hit performance was a bounce-back from a 12-at-bat hitting drought. 

“It’s just been a lot of work for the last couple of days,” O’Conor said. “Just trying to figure out where the swing is at and what it should feel like, and got that feeling back, I would say, yesterday.” 

In his first game after getting the feel for his swing back, 10 mph plus wind blowing towards left center was there to welcome him. 

Which is perfect for who Anderson calls, ‘Windy Day Mike.’ 

“When the wind starts blowing out, he hits the ball up in the air, and it goes over the fence,” Anderson said. 

O’Conor wasn’t the only one helped by the wind, as all nine home runs hit between both teams went out of left field or center field. 

The two home runs outside of the sixth and seventh innings by Eastern were a solo home run by sophomore infielder James Love in the first inning, and Worcester hitting his second one of the daywith a solo shot that banged off the left field scoreboard in the eighth. 

Though the wind was nice for the hitters, it wasn’t for the pitchers. 

Eastern starting pitcher, graduate right-hander Tyler Conklin, gave up a two-run home run to the second batter he faced in the game, redshirt junior outfielder Davis Germann. However, he bounced back and didn’t allow another hit until the fourth inning. 

Conklin said the adjustments he needed were calming down, commanding the zone, and letting his pitches work so hitters could get themselves out.

In the fourth, Conklin gave up one hit. That hit was a three-run home run by junior infielder Jaden Correa, bringing in two runners that he had walked.  

“On a windy day, like this, with the wind blowing out, you’re going to give up runs,” Anderson said. “It is going to be a back-and-forth. He’s been out here more times than anybody to know the conditions. So I knew he wasn’t going to quit just because he gave up a couple runs.” 

Conklin went six and two-thirds innings, and allowed five hits and six earned runs while striking out four and walking three. He earned his fifth win of the season and his second in as many starts in OVC play. 

Graduate right-hander James Geshel followed with two and one-third innings, allowing a two-run homer in the eighth, which was one of two hits he allowed. He finished with four strikeouts and two walks. This was his OVC-leading sixth save of the season and his third in conference play. 

The second game of the series is tomorrow at 4 p.m. 

Bryce Parker can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].