Purdue Fort Wayne
EASTERN ILLINOIS
Eastern Illinois Plates Five in the Fifth Inning, IPFW Falls 7-2
3/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 10, 2008
Bradenton, FL - Eastern Illinois starter Tristan Facer gave up just two earned runs in eight innings, and the Panthers exploded for five runs in the fifth, to top IPFW, 7-2 on Monday afternoon at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
The game started on a positive note for the Mastodons. Senior center fielder Jared Davis got the 'Dons on the board in the top of the 1st inning with a sacrifice fly to center field scoring sophomore shortstop Mark Carden.
The Panthers evened the score in the bottom of the first on a pair of singles and a fielder's choice.
All was quiet until the bottom of the fifth, that's when EIU got to IPFW starter Samuel Walker.
Left fielder Curt Restko brought in a pair with a double. That was all for Walker.
IPFW reliever Matt Ransbottom faced EIU first baseman Alex Gee, and he plated a run with a sacrifice fly.
The big blow of the inning came off he bat off the bat of third baseman Zach Skidmore, who blasted a two-run shot to left. After five it was EIU 6, IPFW 1.
Eastern Illinois added one in the 6th inning.
IPFW pushed a run across in the 8th inning as junior second baseman Chris Gottschall went yard for his third of the season. Gottschall remains red-hot at the dish, going 2-4 with the lone RBI. For the season he is hitting .484 after 10 games with the three homers and 10 RBI.
Facer got the win. He gave up four hits, while striking out two and walking three.
Walker took the loss, his first of the campaign. He gave up five runs, all earned, over 4 1/3 innings. He fanned one and walked one.
IPFW falls to 1-8-1 in 2008. The Mastodons will get a much needed day off on Tuesday before returning to action against Vermont on Wednesday in Bradenton.
~Dons~
