STEPHENVILLE – The Tarleton Baseball team was unable to get much going as they dropped back-to-back games to Eastern Illinois at the Tarleton Baseball Complex on Sunday.
The Texans did not score a run until the ninth inning of each game.
The Texans (2-4) and the Panthers (3-2) will play the series finale Monday at 1 p.m.
Game 1: Eastern Illinois 13, Tarleton 3
The Panthers were able to get four runs in the second inning off some Texan miscues. Tarleton starting pitcher Bryce Hackett hit a batter, walked a batter and gave up two singles to allow two runs. A throwing error later in the inning with two Panthers on cleared the bases and stretched the EIU lead to 4-0.
They would go on to put two more runs up in the fifth. Nathan Aide reached on a Tarleton fielding error and the next batter, Ryan Ignoffo, homered to left field. Ignoffo finished the game with four hits, five RBI and two runs scored.
The back breaker came in the seventh inning when EIU scratched across seven runs to make it a 13-0 ballgame.
The Texans offense never threatened throughout the game, finishing with three hits. One came in the first inning, one in the fifth, and the final came in the bottom of the ninth when catcher Spencer Bloom sent one over the left field wall to score all three of the Texan runs in the game. The home run was Bloom’s first of the season and second in his Tarleton career.
Texan starter Hackett (0-2) finished with the loss. He gave up six runs (three earned) on four hits, while striking out four.
Game 2: Eastern Illinois 3, Tarleton 1
The second game of the afternoon was much different as Tarleton was in striking distance throughout. Texan starter Kyler Mentzel (0-2) was saddled with the loss but threw well going 4.0 innings allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits. He struck out six.
The Panthers used strategic base running in the first inning to take an early lead. Aide and Ignoffo singled back-to-back. With Aide at third and Ignoffo at first, the Panthers sent Ignoffo to steal second. With the distraction, Aide was able to sneak in home to score the first run of the game.
Tarleton held EIU scoreless for the next six innings. In the eighth the Panthers scored after two Texan errors helped them keep the basepaths busy.
The Texans got their lone run of the contest across in the ninth inning once again, after Carter Dobrinski led off with a triple and London Green grounded out to allow Dobrinski to score.
Luke Baley pitched 5.0 innings in relief of Mentzel allowing only one run (unearned) on two hits, striking out seven.
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