Spring Break
Baseball: Pitching keeps winning streak alive
Collin Whitchurch / Assistant Sports Editor
Issue date: 4/1/09 Section: Sports
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Kehrer (2-1) pitched what Eastern head coach Jim Schmitz called "the best he's ever thrown." He went four innings and gave up two earned runs on three hits. He struck out six and walked two.
But it was Derbak who sealed the win and posted his fifth save of the season.
The Panthers' closer entered the game in the sixth inning with the Panthers clinging to a 10-8 lead and pitched a scoreless final 3 1/3 innings, giving up only three hits, while walking one and striking out four.
Derbak was on the mound the last time the Panthers (18-5) faced Saint Louis, taking the loss on a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning. He said that last meeting was "absolutely" on his mind when he took the mound.
"Last time, I got the loss and had a bitter taste in my mouth," Derbak said of the loss on Feb. 27. "I wanted to make sure that didn't happen again."
Senior shortstop Jordan Kreke - the reigning two-time Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week - was unable to continue his hot streak, finishing 0-for-5, but senior centerfielder Brett Nommensen was the offensive star for the Panthers.
Nommensen finished 4-for-4 with two home runs, four RBIs and three runs scored. He led off the game with a home run for the fourth time this season and now has 10 total to lead the team.
"(Last weekend) against (Tennessee) Tech, Nommy had sort of a normal weekend and Kreke carried us," Schmitz said. "I think when you look at our lineup that's what we like about it, there are a lot of guys who can carry us. We're not just sitting there with two guys, a lot of people can contribute and add on and do really good things."
Nommensen said loss to the Billikens (14-12) was on the mind of players before the first pitch was thrown.
"It was a big deal for us," he said. "We've been talking about it that we wanted to go in and shove it to them and show them what we can do. We knew we kind of gave them that first game and this was huge. It was back and forth game, and we showed them we're the better team."
Senior right fielder Ryan Lindquist, who hasn't started since last Wednesday's victory against Chicago State, also came up big offensively for the Panthers. He matched Nommensen's 4-for-4 performance, driving in one run and scoring three times out of the nine spot in the batting order. Senior third baseman Zach Skidmore had a three-run home run in the sixth that increased the lead to 10-4.
SLU junior pitcher Bryant Cotton (3-2) took the loss for the Billikens.
The Panthers return home at 3 p.m. today to host in-state rival Chicago State at Coaches Stadium. Red-shirt freshman right-hander Mike Martin (2-0) will get the start for Eastern.
Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or at cfwhitchurch@eiu.edu.
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