Eastern’s baseball team went to Central Arkansas this weekend and lost all three games to the Bears, ending with final scores of 5-1, 5-4, and 3-2.

The Panther weekend started Friday in Arkansas, as they lost 5-1 to the host, the Bears of Central Arkansas. Freshman catcher Jacob Reese provided a bright spot for the Panthers, as he went 2-for-3 at the plate with Eastern’s only run scored.

Senior outfielder Shawn Ferguson picked up the only other Panther hits Friday, as he went 2-for-4. The Bears out-hit the Panthers 8-5.

Mike Hoekstra, a redshirt-junior and Ohio Valley Conference pitcher of the year, took the loss on Friday, falling to 0-2 on the young season as he allowed seven hits and five runs, three earned, over 4.2 innings of work. Hoekstra also walked three Bears while striking out four.

Senior Brent McNeil and junior Darin Worman combined to hold the Bears to just one hit after relieving Hoekstra, as McNeil allowed a lone hit over 2.1 innings of work while striking out one. Worman finished the game by posting a perfect inning of work.

Head coach Jim Schmitz said the Panther defense cost them again on Friday, and when the team is not scoring in bunches, they cannot afford to give away runs on defense.

Saturday’s game saw the Panthers come closer on the scoreboard but still fall, this time by a score of 5-4 to the Bears.

The Panthers were led offensively Saturday by a pair of redshirt-juniors, as first baseman TJ McManus and outfielder Ben Thoma both went 2-for-5 with one run scored and one RBI, each.

Junior Zach Borenstein also had a fine day at the plate for Eastern, as he went 3-for-5 Saturday.

UCA scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning on an RBI single up the middle off of Eastern junior Adam Clark, who took the loss pitching in relief of freshman starter Luke Bushur, who made his first start as a Panther Saturday.

Bushur got a no-decision as the starter, surrendering four runs, all earned, on five hits over five innings, walking one Bear while striking out four.

Schmitz said he was pleased with Bushur’s first performance as a starter.

“Luke Bushur was outstanding. Today, he really shut them down,” Schmitz said. “We jumped out (to an early lead) but couldn’t tack on and that cost us in the end.”

Central Arkansas opened Sunday’s scoring in the bottom of inning number one, as the Bears pushed one run across in their first chance at bat against starter Christian Slazinik, as he finished with three runs allowed, all earned, on five hits and five walks over four-plus innings of work while striking out two.Central Arkansas loaded the bases in the fifth, but Josh Wilson was able to come in and put out the fire, keeping the Bears scoreless through the precarious inning started by a pair of Slazinik walks.

The score would remain 3-2 until the top of the 9th, when the Panthers recorded a pair of quick outs before Schweigert and Strang each reached base to bring up Borenstein with two outs and the tying run in scoring position at second base. Borenstein grounded out to second base to end the game.

“It was either bad defense, mental errors, lack of clutch hitting, or walks that led to the three losses. At times we looked like we never played the game,” Schmitz said after Sunday’s loss. “It is going to take a great week of practice to get going in the right direction.”

The loss drops Eastern to 0-6 on the season, as they have been swept in each of their first two weekend series.

The Panthers will return to action next weekend as they travel to Evansville, Ind. to compete in the Evansville Spring Tourney next Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Brad Kupiec can be reached at 581-7944 or bmkupiec@eiu.edu.

Junior shortstop Cam Strang throws the ball to first base April 5, 2010 during the weekend series against Austin Peay at Coaches Stadium. (File Photo

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