Illini baseball team loses to Panthers

By David Just

After being swept in a four-game series by Michigan last weekend, the last thing the Illini needed was a mid-week loss.

And that’s exactly what happened Tuesday night at Grimes Field in Mattoon, Ill., this time at the hands of Eastern Illinois, 13-3.

“We were very poor on the mound, we didn’t compete on the mound at all,” said Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb on the team’s first mid-week loss of the season, dropping the team’s record to 18-13.

“We’ve gotten away from fundamentals in a very short amount of time,” Hartleb added.

The Panthers (17-15) struck early and often, going through six Illini pitchers – four in the first three innings alone. The pitchers didn’t get much help from the Illinois defense, though, which committed four errors in the night.

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The defense had been a sure thing going into the Michigan series, but has since committed 15 errors, more than enough to drop the team’s fielding percentage out of first place in the Big Ten.

But Illinois pitchers didn’t help themselves either, allowing the Panthers 11 walks in the game.

The loss was a ruined homecoming for Mattoon natives Kyle Hudson and Ryan Hastings.

“It was tough, it’s always tough,” said Hudson, who, like Hastings, finished the game hitless. “Obviously every time you come out you want to come out and win.”

Phil Haig got his first start of the season after throwing three strong innings against the Wolverines on Friday without allowing an earned run.

Tuesday night didn’t go quite as well for the freshman.

Haig allowed four runs, three earned, on two hits and three walks, taking the loss and setting the tone for the Panthers’ offense.

Eastern’s pitching, on the other hand, was outstanding all night, quieting Illini hitters who, as a team, were hitting .331 entering the game.

The only offense Illinois managed to generate came during the third inning. Right fielder Craig Lutes led off the inning with a triple to left field and was promptly driven in by Casey McMurray’s single to center.

Three batters later, Brandon Wikoff doubled down the left field line and scored two.

But the Panthers scored six runs in the bottom half of the inning to all but put the game out of reach.

Only two Illini pitchers kept the Panthers at the plate, but it was too little, too late, as Mike Sterk and Ben Reeser pitched a scoreless four innings to close out the game.

“We were down by 10 when I came in and you just get fed up watching it,” said Sterk.

“We just need to get back to doing what we were doing earlier in the year. Eleven walks is not how we’ve been pitching. We just flat out didn’t pitch well.”