MARION, Ill. – Top-seeded SIUE baseball dropped the semifinal game at the OVC Championship, falling 3-2 in 10 innings to No. 2 Eastern Illinois at MTN Dew Park Friday.
The Cougars will play an elimination game later Friday against Little Rock or Southern Indiana for the chance to advance to the Championship game. Time of the game is to be determined due to weather concerns.
With the loss, SIUE falls to 33-23 overall. EIU improved to 33-19 and advanced to Saturday's championship game.
The Panthers broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the 10th inning against SIUE closer Easton Harris (0-2). Brett Stanley dropped a double down the right field line which skipped into the stands, scoring Quad Peters with the eventual game-winning run. Peters had singled with one out and stole second base.
SIUE stranded a pair in scoring position when the game ended. Ryan Niedzwiedz led off the inning with a single to right and Terrick Thompson-Allen pinch hit and drew a walk. Ethan Willoughby flied out to deep right allowing Niedzwiedz to move to third. A wild pitch allowed pinch-running Isaiah Kettler to get to second base.
The Cougars left 11 runners on base for the game.
SIUE jumped in front in the first inning. Daniel Gierer singled to lead off the inning before Chase Bloomer walked. Both advanced on a wild pitch and Ryan Neidzwiedz drove home the first run with a groundout.
Bloomer and Niedzwiedz singled back-to-back to start the sixth inning. Bloomer went to third on a fly ball to right. Ethan Willoughby walked to load the bases with one out. Mack Mitchell grounded into a fielder's choice scoring Bloomer from third to push the lead to 2-0.
The Panthers scored a run in the seventh with three singles before Ethan Rossi then tied the score for with a sacrifice bunt.
Tim Teixeira started and worked seven innings allowing two runs on five hits. He did not walk a hitter and struck out one. Joseph Martin worked the eighth and after allowing a one-out double to Brett Stanley, got out of the inning, stranding Stanley at second base.
Niedzwiedz and Joshua Heyder walked consecutively to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning. Willoughby moved both runners with a sacrifice bunt, but the Cougars failed to score against EIU reliever James Geshel.
Gierer led the Cougars with two hits. Eastern Illinois outhit SIUE 8-6 in the game.
