Eastern Illinois University completed a series sweep against Southeast Missouri State University with an 8-3 victory, according to a May 3 announcement. The win keeps Eastern Illinois tied for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference alongside SIUE.
The outcome was decided in the bottom of the seventh inning when Eastern Illinois scored six runs to rally from behind. Chris Worcester began the inning with a single that tied the game at three by bringing home Tyler Castro. James Love followed with a base hit and advanced on a wild pitch, while Mike O’Conor was intentionally walked to load the bases. Peyton Wilson drew a walk that gave Eastern Illinois its first lead of the game, and Dylan Drumke hit a grand slam to extend their advantage.
Earlier in the contest, Drumke opened scoring for Eastern Illinois in the second inning after reaching base on a single and being brought home by Castro’s run batted in. Panther starter Dalton Boruff held SEMO scoreless until allowing three runs in the fourth inning before being replaced by Anthony Solis, who pitched 4.2 scoreless innings and collected two strikeouts.
Offensively, Wilson and Drumke combined for six runs batted in, with Drumke recording two hits including his grand slam. Love contributed three hits including a double, while Solis earned his third win of the season on the mound.
Looking ahead, Eastern Illinois is set to face SIUE next weekend for another important conference series. The team will also honor its seniors during Sunday’s game on May 10.
