Panthers win three of four in opener
The Panther baseball team has won three out of their last four games after winning in their home opener against Chicago State.
The Panthers beat the Cougars 1-0 on a day where the wind was blowing steadily and a slight drizzle caused some concern for fans at the game.
The skies did clear and stayed that way long enough to get the entire game in, and it was a game dominated by pitching for both teams. The Panthers and Cougars each tallied five hits against the respective starters, and none against the opposing bullpens.
Panther head coach Jim Schmitz said the lack of hitting was not even that big of an issue compared to the performance of Eastern’s right handed pitchers, sophomore Troy Barton and senior Matt Miller, who combined to throw a shutout in a game where Eastern notched the only run in the second.
“I told them (the team) a win’s a win,” Schmitz said. “You’ve just got to talk about Troy Barton and Matt Miller. (Pitching Coach) Skylar (Meade) did a great job, saw the game was going to be close and we had other pitchers we were maybe going to put in, but you’ve got to win the game.”
Miller came into the game with runners on second and third with nobody out in the seventh inning and got a pop out, strikeout, and ground out to get out of the jam un-scored upon.
Miller got the save in the game, pitching three innings of perfect ball, while striking out five of the nine Cougar hitters he faced.
The Panther offensive attack saw them running and playing more small ball, including a bunt by sophomore second-baseman Daniel Rowe, which lead to the only Panther run.
Senior Cam Strang was also caught stealing twice and the lineup was a bit shaken up from the usual, with freshman Cameron Berra playing third base and junior Gerik Wallsten catching.
“In the mid-week games, as much as you want to win and all that, we’ve got to do something,” Schmitz said in response to Strang’s pair of failed steal attempts. “If you’re not swinging the bats that well you want to do other things. We’re not just doing it foolishly, we’re trying to get some guys to run, and hopefully we’ll get that part of the game going a little better.”
The Panthers have not been swinging the bats as well as they would like, and junior leadoff hitter and center fielder Zach Borenstein had a pair of strikeouts in four at bats to bring his season total to 13 in 64 at bats, more than double the 1:10 ratio Schmitz had said his players should shoot for.
“I’m really, at this particular point, not happy with (Borenstein),” Schmitz said. “He’s guessing, he says he’s not guessing, I know he is, and his approach is something we talked about. You don’t guess in a two-strike situation and he did.”
The Panthers will finish their pre-Ohio Valley Conference schedule today as they host in-state rival Southern Illinois, with the game set to begin at 2 p.m. in Coaches’ Stadium.
Brad Kupiec can be reached at 581-7944 or bmkupiec@eiu.edu
Panthers win three of four in opener
Troy Barton, a sophomore pitcher, throws the ball to first during the game against Chicago State Tuesday afternoon at Coaches Stadium. Barton earned the win for the Panthers beating the Cougars 1-0. (Audrey Sawyer/The Daily Eastern News)
