Spring Break
Baseball: Winning streak reaches 11
Kevin Murphy / Sports Editor
Issue date: 4/6/09 Section: Sports
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The Panthers (21-5, 7-0 Ohio Valley Conference) won 11-4 and 2-1 in seven innings at Coaches Stadium.
In game two, Eastern senior first baseman Alex Gee, junior pitcher Tyler Kehrer and senior right fielder Ryan Lindquist all contributed to the win.
Gee knocked in the game-winning run in the second game with a single up the middle in the bottom of the sixth.
He added a pinch-hit, two-run home run in the first game.
"It felt really, really good. I've been struggling all year," Gee said. "It's no secret. (Eastern head coach Jim Schmitz) has been giving me opportunity after opportunity to help this team out. Today, it finally happened."
Gee's RBI helped Kehrer's performance on the mound. Kehrer (3-1) pitched seven innings, giving up only three hits and one earned run. He walked none and struck out eight.
Schmitz picked up his 400th Eastern win in the first game.
"Coach has been stressing throwing strikes," Kehrer said. "I just tried to go out there and get ahead in the count and throw strikes."
Although the Panthers committed three errors, Lindquist made two spectacular plays in the outfield. Lindquist ran all the way to the middle of right center field and made a catch against the wall in the fifth inning. He also ended the top of the sixth inning with a diving catch.
"I knew I had to bust it in because (Eastern senior second baseman Jordan Tokarz) was covering on the steal, and I knew I was the only one that was going to get there," Lindquist said.
Eastern took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when senior center fielder Brett Nommensen hit an RBI single through the right side to bring in Lindquist.
In the first game, the Panthers jumped on the Thoroughbreds 1-0 in the bottom of the first. Murray State (18-11, 1-4) took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning before Nommensen answered with a two-run home run as the Panthers took a 4-2 lead. Murray State responded with a two-run home run in the top of the fifth.
Eastern added seven unanswered runs, including a two-run home run by freshman catcher Gerik Wallsten and a two-run home run by Gee.
Eastern's offense supported sophomore pitcher Josh Mueller (5-0), who went 6 2/3 innings. He gave up six hits, four earned runs and walked five. He had eight strikeouts.
"I was really happy how he went back out there," Schmitz said. "He got us to the seventh, and boom, we got the runs."
Eastern senior right-hander Brian Morrell earned his first save of the season by striking out four in the final 2 2/3 innings.
Sunday's game was canceled because of rain.
The Panthers return to action at 2 p.m. Wednesday, as they will take on Indiana State at Coaches Stadium.
Baseball OVC Standings
Team / OVC / Overall
E. Illinois / 7-0 / 21-5
*SE Missouri / 7-1 / 17-10
E. Kentucky / 6-3 / 18-9
*Jacksonville State / 5-3 / 16-11
Austin Peay / 2-4 / 13-17
Morehead State / 3-6 / 10-18
Murray State / 1-4 / 18-11
Tennessee Tech / 1-7 / 13-12
Tennessee Martin / 1-5 / 10-16
* - Results not available at press time.
Kevin Murphy can be reached at 581-7944 or kjmurphy@eiu.edu.
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