Eastern baseball scored every one of it’s runs with two outs in the inning in Saturday’s 11-1 run rule-shortened eight inning victory over Southeast Missouri Saturday at Frost Field at Coaches Stadium.
Eastern (26-15, 14-6) maintained a tie for first place in the OVC with SIUE.
SEMO (31-15, 12-8) was limited to three hits for the second straight night compared to Eastern’s 11. Defensively, the Panthers were solid, as they didn’t commit an error in the game and turned three double plays.
“It’s baseball,” said Eastern head coach Jason Anderson. “If you throw strikes and you catch the ball and make plays, good things happen and it makes it hard to score.”
Junior right-hander Bryce Riggs (7-1) pitched a quality start. He pitched seven and one third innings and allowed one earned run on three hits and five walks while striking out three.
Riggs’s only earned run came in the first inning after he walked two straight hitters following a leadoff double. SEMO first baseman Dakota Joggerst grounded into his first of two double plays in the game, which allowed the only Redhawk run to score from third.
“I don’t think Bryce [Riggs] had his best stuff today, but I mean just like Tyler [Conklin] he goes out and competes and gives us a chance to win and gives our defense a chance,” said Anderson. “It was really good today.”
SEMO head coach Andy Sawyers was ejected in the top of the seventh inning.
Graduate outfielder Dylan Drumke bunted a ball down the first base line that was picked up close to the foul line. Home plate umpire John White called the ball foul, and Sawyers disagreed with the call.
A conversation that seemed tame at first rapidly changed it’s tone, with Sawyers, who was already warned by White a few innings prior, growing more agitated as the discussion continued. Both were screaming in each other’s faces until White walked away and first base umpire Chris Deichman got in between and walked Sawyers off the field.
It follows yesterday’s ballgame, which saw Anderson tossed after a disagreement about the strike zone.
“He was trying to send a message to his team is what I think he was trying to do,” said Anderson.
Graduate first baseman Tyler Castro gave Eastern a 6-1 lead in the third inning. Castro faced a new arm out of the SEMO bullpen and, with the bases loaded, hit a bases-clearing double to right field.
“Thats the thing that we’ve been missing all year,” said Anderson. “We load the bases, we get guys on its just, do we get them in.”
Sophomore third baseman James Love snapped an 0-for-7 streak to start the series with a two-run home run to centerfield in the bottom of the sixth inning, which put the Panther’s up 8-1.
“We always want to be in scoring position, but that’s just not our strength,” said Anderson. “Getting them on, getting them over, and getting them in is sometimes a struggle.”
Anderson is hoping to keep momentum going into the series finale on Sunday.
“Well, we’re in pretty good shape pitching-wise,” said Anderson. “Obviously momentum— it’s hard to sweep anybody for three games straight. You got to play really well and some things have to go your way, but we’re in as good as a position you can be to go do it.”
Eastern finishes the series against SEMO on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Junior right-handed pitcher Andrew Carroll is the projected starter for the Redhawks. Eastern’s starting pitcher is to be determined.
Aidan Cusack can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].
