Southern Illinois Edwardsville hit eight home runs in a 16-4 win on Saturday evening at Frost Field at Coaches Stadium.
The Panthers (28-17, 15-8) were unable to keep up with the Cougars’ (29-21, 17-6) opening pounce, as an a RBI double by senior shortstop Chase Bloomer and a two-run home run on the next pitch by junior first baseman Ryan Niedzwiedz gave SIUE a 3-0 lead four pitches into junior right-hander Bryce Riggs’ start.
That home run by Niedzwiedz was the first of three he hit in the ballgame, as he broke the SIUE program record for home runs in a season with his 22nd, 23rd and 24th blasts this season.
The pressure continued throughout the entire game, as SIUE scored runs in every inning except the second, fourth and seventh.
The Cougars added three more runs in the ninth inning when senior outfielder Brenden Fry, Gierer and Bloomer hit back-to-back-to-back homeruns off of junior right-handed pitcher Jack Helms.
Eight home runs in one game is the third most hit by any team in the Ohio Valley Conference this season.
“What can you say about that?” Eastern coach Jason Anderson said. “They’ve got more home runs then we have hits over the last two days. They’re a good team. They don’t have a whole lot of weaknesses.”
The Panthers didn’t get on the board until the bottom of the third inning.
After collecting five hits in yesterday’s game, the Panther offense was only able to muster four today compared to SIUE’s 18.
“We are not doing anything offensively,” Anderson said. “Like literally nothing, and you can’t win a baseball game or even be competitive in a case like today.”
Eastern scratched across two runs in the bottom of the fourth after stringing together three hits in the inning to cut the Cougar lead to 6-3. However, the Panthers were only able to get one more hit the rest of the way; an RBI double by graduate outfielder Brett Stanley.
“They manufactured two runs in the fourth and things got a little tight,” said SIUE head coach Sean Lyons. “Guys responded offensively and just allowed us to get a little separation.”
Eastern now sits two games behind SIUE for first place in the OVC. The Panthers are currently tied for second with Little Rock.
Anderson said the focus now shifts toward finishing in second, as the top two teams get a bye to day three of the OVC tournament.
“I think this weekend there’s just a ton of distractions with senior weekend, graduation and everything altogether,” he said. “You think it’s great to be at home, but sometimes it’s not great to be at home.”
Eastern will play the final game of the series against SIUE tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Frost Field at Coaches Stadium.
It will be senior day, as 17 players will be recognized before the game.
Eastern’s starting pitcher is to be determined. SIUE’s projected starter is junior right-hander Jase Phillips.
