Junior pitcher Mike Recchia went the distance in his return to the starting rotation, striking out a season-high nine in his first career nine-inning complete game, leading the Eastern baseball team to a 5-2 rubber game victory against Tennessee Martin Sunday afternoon at Coaches Stadium.

Recchia (4-4) limited Tennessee Martin to five hits, three coming from senior catcher Ty Nelson. He kept the Skyhawks off the scoreboard until the sixth inning and surrendered only one earned run.

The Panthers (13-29, 8-9 OVC) scored once in the first and twice more in the third, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead. Sophomore third baseman Zach Borenstein finished the day 3-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.

Junior pitcher Josh Mueller and sophomore pitcher Mike Hoekstra both pitched seven efficient innings but Eastern split Saturday’s doubl header winning the series opener 7-3 and losing the nightcap 2-1.

Mueller (2-1) gave up only one run on five singles and four walks, striking out eight in his finest all-around outing of the season. He improved to 3-0 as a Panther against the Skyhawks (20-23, 5-10 OVC).

Skyhawks senior pitcher Coty Green (8-2) won a pitcher’s duel with Hoekstra in the nightcap. Eastern did not score until the final frame of the scheduled seven-inning game.

“It was two good games and obviously great pitching out of (Hoekstra) and Josh Mueller,” head coach Jim Schmitz said. “We just, offensively, let (Green) get his momentum going in the game and never really got a chance to get going until the end.”

Junior shortstop Cam Strang finished the day 3-for-6. He drove in a run in each of his first three plate appearances in game one and scored Eastern’s lone run in the nightcap after singling in his final at-bat.

Sophomore left fielder Ben Thoma connected for a two-run homer, his fifth of the season, in the seventh inning of game one. He was one of five Panthers to record two hits in the series opener, as Eastern finished with 12 as a team. Freshman second baseman Ryan Dineen was the lone Panther to have two hits in the nightcap.

Nelson led the way for Tennessee Martin with a 4-for-8 day, recording two hits in both games. Sophomore right fielder Jordan Owen connected for his team-leading 13th home run of the season to leadoff the second inning of game two. Tennessee Martin freshman left fielder Brent Morris knocked in a key insurance run with a two-out single in the fourth inning of the nightcap.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Strang and Dineen recorded the only consecutive hits of the game against Green. Strang went first to third on Dineen’s base hit down the right field line, bringing the potential go-ahead run to the plate.

Thoma plated Strang with a sacrifice fly to right field but freshman pinch runner Nick Priessman was stranded at second base after Green struck out red-shirt freshman pinch hitter George Kalousek to close out his complete-game victory.

The Panthers scored in four of the first five innings of game one against Skyhawks freshman starter Alex Boshers (2-6). The first hitter of the inning reached safely and scored in the second, third and fifth.

But Eastern took an early lead thanks to back-to-back two-out hits from senior designated hitter Alex Gee and Strang in the bottom of the first. With senior first baseman Richie Derbak and Gee on base, Strang hit a blooper into short center field. Tennessee Martin junior center fielder Jerron Casey got a glove on the ball but it popped free when he collided with second baseman Cory Stooksbury. Derbak scored on the play.

Thoma led off the second inning with a double down the left field line and scored on an opposite-field base hit by freshman right fielder Daniel Rowe.

Borenstein led of the third and fifth innings with singles through the right side and scored on Strang’s sacrifice fly and base hit to center field, respectively.

Junior pitcher Brent McNeil worked a scoreless eighth inning out of Eastern’s bullpen. He has not given up an earned run in his last 10 1/3 innings.

Junior shortstop Cam Strang throws the ball to first base Saturday afternoon during the game against UT Martin at Coaches Stadium. Strang is on a 15-game hitting streak, had two runs, five hits and five RBIs this weekend. (Audrey Sawyer/The Daily Eastern

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