Box score

Freshman pinch hitter Ryan Meyer stepped in a big way on Wednesday.

Meyer hit a home run just inside the right foul pole and brought in senior third baseman Ryan Campbell and senior first baseman Erik Huber.

Meyer put the Panthers in the lead and Eastern (16-15) held on for the 8-6 victory against Saint Louis University. The Billikens intentionally walked Huber in order to pitch to Meyer.

“It was an amazing feeling,” Meyer said. “After they walked Huber I was feeling the pressure. I just didn’t want to ground it into a double play or anything.”

Another freshman, Scott Foley, walked out to the mound in the bottom of the tenth and got the save holding SLU to only one run and ending the game 8-6.

“He was a fresh arm and he threw great today,” said Eastern head coach Jim Schmitz of Foley. “It’s exciting to know we have another arm out there that can get the job done.”

Campbell’s double to help set up for Meyer’s home run was not his only contribution to the game.

Campbell hit two doubles, a triple, scored two runs and had two RBIs.

“I can’t say enough about how much he has stepped up with Huber out,” Schmitz said. “He is getting hits and bringing in runners and doing it consistently.”

Schmitz said he was also pleased with freshman pitcher Richie Derbak’s performance in the eighth and ninth innings.

Derbak allowed only three hits and one run with three strikeouts.