Graduate right-hander Tyler Conklin set the school record for most career wins by a pitcher, as EIU baseball won two out of three games on the road against UT Martin.  

Conklin (7-2) pitched five and two-thirds innings and got credit for the win in Friday’s 9-7 series opening victory. That win gave him 24 wins in his career, which moved him past Dwaine Nelson and into the top spot in the Eastern all-time wins category all alone.  

“What an honor it has been to see Tyler [Conklin] put in the work day in and day out to lead our team on and off the field over the past five years,” head coach Jason Anderson said on his X account. “We are proud to see him reach this milestone!” 

On Friday, Conklin allowed five earned runs on eight hits and three walks. He finished with two strikeouts. Graduate right-handed pitcher James Geshel picked up his eighth save after getting the final nine outs of the game by allowing two runs on as many hits, one walk, and four strikeouts.  

Eastern (24-15, 12-6) scored six of its nine runs in the third inning, and the other three came in the ninth inning as vital insurance runs.  

Again, a six-run inning was the difference in the middle game of the series on Saturday. Junior right-hander Bryce Riggs pitched four innings before turning the ball over to Anthony Solis, who pitched the final five innings and allowed three runs on six hits, a walk, and seven strikeouts.  

Solis (2-2) was the winning pitcher after Eastern took advantage of six Skyhawk walks in the seventh inning and plated six runs to expand the lead to 10-3.  

UT Martin (21-22, 7-11) scored three runs in the final two innings to cut the deficit in half, and 10-6 was the final.  

The Skyhawks salveged the series on Sunday, as a back-and-forth game was broken open by UT Martin in the bottom of the eighth with a five-run inning, and Eastern lost 11-8.  

Eastern is now one of the teams in a four-way tie for first place at the top of the Ohio Valley Conference.  

The next two weekends are pivotal for the Panthers, as they play Southeast Missouri this upcoming weekend and Southern Illinois Edwardsville the following weekend. Both of those teams and Little Rock are also involved in the four-way tie with Eastern.  

The Panthers open the series against SEMO at home on Friday, with first pitch set for 6 p.m.