Spring Break
Baseball: Offense comes alive
Collin Whitchurch / Assistant Sports Editor
Issue date: 3/9/09 Section: Sports
The warm Kentucky weather woke up the Eastern baseball team's bats this weekend.
The Panthers scored a combined 26 runs in three games at the Cardinal Classic in Louisville, Ky., compiling a 2-1 record in the process with average temperatures around 71 degrees, according to weather.com.
Eastern capped off its weekend with a 16-4 victory against Wisconsin-Milwaukee Sunday afternoon. Junior designated hitter Richie Derbak had a career-high five hits, with three doubles and his first home run of the season. He drove in four runs.
"He got pitches to hit, and he hit his doubles the other way and pulled the home run," Eastern head coach Jim Schmitz said after Sunday's victory. "He was just on fire."
Junior first baseman Jake Samuels got his first start of the season in place of junior Alex Gee and took advantage, hitting his first home run of the season in the fourth inning.
The Panthers won their first game of the tournament Saturday, 4-3 against Wisconsin-Milwaukee. They dropped a 10-6 contest to the host Cardinals later that day.
While Schmitz was impressed with the way his team's offense got going, he was really impressed with the performance of his pitching staff during the weekend. Sophomore pitcher Josh Mueller started Saturday's win against Wisconsin-Milwaukee and earned the win, pitching 7 1/3 innings and allowing two runs on seven hits. Derbak - who also serves as the team's closer - picked up the save in relief.
Sunday's win was more of the same for the pitching staff. Sophomore Mike Recchia improved to 2-0 after going seven innings and allowing just one run on four hits. He struck out seven.
"Recchia, again, has just really gone out there and, three times starting, he's doing outstanding," Schmitz said. "It all goes together. He pitches well, and we feel good and hit for him."
The Panthers let one get away in Saturday's loss to No. 25 Louisville. Eastern led 5-4 entering the bottom of the seventh, but the Cardinals jumped all over Eastern's bullpen, scoring a combined six runs in the next two innings against four relievers. Starter Tyler Kehrer allowed four runs in six innings and picked up a no-decision.
The Panthers continue their season-opening road stretch Wednesday when they face Indiana State. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Terre Haute, Ind.
Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or at cfwhitchurch@eiu.edu
The Panthers scored a combined 26 runs in three games at the Cardinal Classic in Louisville, Ky., compiling a 2-1 record in the process with average temperatures around 71 degrees, according to weather.com.
Eastern capped off its weekend with a 16-4 victory against Wisconsin-Milwaukee Sunday afternoon. Junior designated hitter Richie Derbak had a career-high five hits, with three doubles and his first home run of the season. He drove in four runs.
"He got pitches to hit, and he hit his doubles the other way and pulled the home run," Eastern head coach Jim Schmitz said after Sunday's victory. "He was just on fire."
Junior first baseman Jake Samuels got his first start of the season in place of junior Alex Gee and took advantage, hitting his first home run of the season in the fourth inning.
The Panthers won their first game of the tournament Saturday, 4-3 against Wisconsin-Milwaukee. They dropped a 10-6 contest to the host Cardinals later that day.
While Schmitz was impressed with the way his team's offense got going, he was really impressed with the performance of his pitching staff during the weekend. Sophomore pitcher Josh Mueller started Saturday's win against Wisconsin-Milwaukee and earned the win, pitching 7 1/3 innings and allowing two runs on seven hits. Derbak - who also serves as the team's closer - picked up the save in relief.
Sunday's win was more of the same for the pitching staff. Sophomore Mike Recchia improved to 2-0 after going seven innings and allowing just one run on four hits. He struck out seven.
"Recchia, again, has just really gone out there and, three times starting, he's doing outstanding," Schmitz said. "It all goes together. He pitches well, and we feel good and hit for him."
The Panthers let one get away in Saturday's loss to No. 25 Louisville. Eastern led 5-4 entering the bottom of the seventh, but the Cardinals jumped all over Eastern's bullpen, scoring a combined six runs in the next two innings against four relievers. Starter Tyler Kehrer allowed four runs in six innings and picked up a no-decision.
The Panthers continue their season-opening road stretch Wednesday when they face Indiana State. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Terre Haute, Ind.
Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or at cfwhitchurch@eiu.edu
The Daily Eastern News encourages on-topic, civil discussion on its articles posted online. It is our policy not to screen comments before they are posted or edit them after they are posted. However, we reserve the right to remove comments that are off-topic, malicious, libelous or include excessive foul language. The DEN also reserves the right to turn off all comments on any story it deems necessary.
Comments violating copyright law will also be removed.
Users who repeatedly violate this policy will be banned from commenting.
If you have any questions on our comment policy or wish to report a comment that you feel violates these standards, please e-mail a link to the article to our Online Editor at DENNews.com@gmail.com.
Be the first to comment on this story