Eastern junior left-hander Tyler Kehrer struck out a career-high 14 batters in a complete game, one-hit shutout as the Panthers completed a three-game sweep of Southern Illinois-Edwardsville with a 5-0 victory Sunday at Coaches Stadium.

The Cougars did not hit a single ball in play out of the infield as their one hit came on an infield single to second baseman Jordan Tokarz in the top of the third inning. Kehrer (4-3) retired the final 18 hitters he faced.

“I tried to go out there today and just clear my mind,” said Kehrer, whose performance came in front of about a half-dozen major league scouts in attendance. “It’s just another game. I can’t change anything. I just play my game and don’t worry about it.”

Kehrer’s performance came in the finale of a sweep of the Cougars (9-29) where the Panthers (32-9) allowed only two runs total. They won Saturday’s games by scores of 10-0 and 4-2.

“We had a lot of hitting in game one, defense in game two and then pitching (Sunday),” Eastern head coach Jim Schmitz said. “It’s a good sign that all three parts of our game came together this weekend.”

The Panthers had lost three of their last five games entering the weekend.

Saturday’s early victory was led by sophomore right-hander Josh Mueller (7-0), who threw seven innings of shutout ball, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out seven. Junior first baseman Alex Gee led the charge offensively, driving in four runs and going 2-for-3. Senior center fielder Ryan Lindquist added three hits.

In the 4-2 victory, sophomore right-hander Mike Recchia (7-1) picked up the win after allowing two earned runs in five innings. Recchia said he did not have his best stuff Saturday, but the defense picked him up.

“After the first inning, I settled down and just focused on keeping the ball down,” he said. “When you don’t have everything working, you work with the best you have and that was my fastball.”

The Panthers concluded their 10-game home stand 7-3 and play two neutral site games this week. They take on Missouri at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in O’Fallon, Mo., before facing Southern Illinois-Carbondale at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Grimes Field in Mattoon.

Collin Whitchurch can be reached at 581-7944 or cfwhitchurch@eiu.edu.

Eastern junior left-hander Tyler Kehrer delivers the ball during the baseball team’s 5-0 win over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville Sunday afternoon at Coaches Stadium. Kehrer allowed one hit in a complete game shutout. (Audrey Sawyer/The Daily Eastern News)

(more…)