After Eastern was shellacked 18-6 to Austin Peay Saturday, head coach Jim Schmitz wanted to see a better effort from his baseball team against Illinois College (9-6).

The coach got that effort as the Panthers (7-20) handily defeated the Blueboys 6-0 Tuesday at Coaches Stadium with solid pitching and timely hitting.

Freshman pitcher Troy Barton (1-3) received the victory with five scoreless innings and six strikeouts to one walk.

“It felt good,” Barton said of his first collegiate win. “It was good to get back after last week against Saint Louis, where I didn’t have my best outing.”

Barton lost to Saint Louis March 30 in 2 1/3 innings of five-run baseball with four walks. He also gave up a two-run double on a 3-0 pitch to the Billikens’ junior third baseman Jon Myers when Schmitz called for a walk.

“I think pitching well was the key for him,” Schmitz said. “He didn’t pitch well against Saint Louis, but all the ground balls are a key thing we are looking for. He attacked the zone well along with (junior pitcher Brent) McNeil. They both pitched well.”

McNeil pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit ball.

Illinois College freshman pitcher Brian Davenport (2-1) lost by giving up two runs in only two innings of work.

He gave up runs to senior first baseman Alex Gee and sophomore catcher Gerik Wallsten for a 2-0 lead.

The fifth inning was when Barton shined, striking out the side.

“I was locating at my fastball the whole time and my slider was it’s best it has been,” Barton said.

The bottom half had the Blueboys’ senior pitcher Bret Williams surrendering a single to sophomore third baseman Zach Borenstein. Then, sophomore left fielder Ben Thoma blasted a two-run homer to left-center for his fourth of the year, making it 4-0.

The scoring ended in the bottom of the sixth, as both freshman centerfielder Nick Priessman and senior rightfielder Curt Restko walked.

Borenstein then blooped a two-run double to shallow center, which scrambling Blueboys senior centerfielder Adam Baran could not catch it as Eastern led 6-0.

“Our two big guys, Borenstein and Thoma, got big hits, so they came out and got a lot of hitting.”

On a bad note, Eastern is still hitting into double plays to kill rallies, grounding out twice with one in the fourth that ended a bases-loaded situation.

Schmitz said the team is working on avoiding double plays before the game today, but they still need more work.

The Panthers travel to face Chicago State (1-16) at 3 p.m. today in Chicago.

Junior pitcher Mike Martin (0-3, 11.25 ERA) will make his second start this season.

Injury update

Junior ace Josh Mueller (0-1, 4.50 ERA) had his first outing Sunday against Austin Peay.

Before that, Mueller last threw against Alabama at Birmingham on March 5.

The Columbia native gave up five runs, had two strikeouts and walks, and a wild pitch in 75 throws.

There was a scare in the second inning when Mueller was hit in the leg on a hard grounder. After Mueller completed the play, Eastern’s trainers came out to the mound.

“The batter turned on the pitch and hit it up the middle,” Mueller said. “It didn’t feel good.”

Despite that, Mueller said his right arm felt good.

He said the arm and shoulder exercises helped his arm from its ailment, which he described as a form of tendonitis or a muscle strain.

Senior designated hitter Richie Derbak made his first appearance since March 23, missing eight games with a right ankle infection.

Derbak was 0-for-2. Schmitz wants Derbak to start at designated hitter against Morehead State this weekend.

Junior designated hitter Ryan Voitik, a transfer from Joliet Junior College, has filled in for the injured Derbak.

Schmitz said Voitik did a good job filling in for the Lebanon native.

Voitik was batting .154 and 1-for-9 during the Austin Peay series.

Bob Bajek can be reached at 581-7944 or rtbajek@eiu.edu.

Freshman Troy Barton pitches against Illinois College Tuesday afternoon at Coaches Stadium.(Audrey Sawyer/The Daily Eastern News)

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