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CHARLESTON, Ill. – The Panther baseball team earned a 5-3 victory over UT Martin in the Ohio Valley Conference series finale between the two teams on Senior Day. EIU concludes the season with a 22-27 overall record an 11-17 mark in conference action.
 
With the game tied at two heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Panthers scored three runs on five hits and one error to take a 5-2 advantage. Treysen Vavra and Demetre Taylor drove in the first two runs on RBI singles before Cameron Berra drove in the final run with an RBI single.
 
Nico Zych scored on a Kyle Bargery RBI fielder's choice to get the Skyhawks (11-40, 4-26 OVC) within two (5-3) in the eighth inning, but Jaden Widdersheim retired the final four UT Martin batters in the contest to seal the victory and earn his first save of the year.
 
“You can't ask for a better script for senior day,” said Eastern Illinois head coach Jim Schmitz. “Not only because we were able to get the four seniors into the game, but also because they were a great group leaders who were mentors for our underclassmen.”
 
EIU took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when Nick Priessman scored on a throwing error by the UT Martin shortstop. Vavra hit a solo home run in the fourth inning to make the score 2-0 before UT Martin tied the game in the following inning, scoring two runs on four hits.
 
UT Martin had one more hit (12-11) than EIU and left one less runner on base (11-10). Both teams committed two errors in the contest.
 
Vavra led the team at the plate as he went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Priessman also went 2-for-3 with two runs and a sacrifice hit – becoming the school's all-time leader in sacrifice hits with 28.
 
Ben Kennedy (3-2) earned the win for EIU, allowing one hit in 0.1 innings of work. Jake Johansmeier made the start and went four scoreless innings while only surrendering three hits.
 
Dalton Potts (4-7) took the loss for the Skyhawks, allowing nine hits and five runs (four eared) with five strikeouts in 6.1 innings of action. Zych led the team at the plate as he went 3-for-4 with two runs.
 
“We finished the year strong after a slow start,” said Schmitz. “It's a good sign for next year and hopefully we carry the momentum into next spring.”