EIU bounces back to rally past Tribe

Southeast Missouri State University clinched its first regular-season Ohio Valley Conference baseball championship at Eastern Illinois' expense Saturday.

But the Panthers weren't about to be swept out of Cape Girardeau without a fight.

EIU, after losing both ends of Saturday's doubleheader, scored the final eight runs Sunday -- including five in the ninth inning -- to beat the Indians 8-4.

An announced crowd of 739 at Capaha Field on Southeast's final home date of the season saw the Indians fall to 28-16 overall and 14-4 in OVC play as they lost for just the second time in their last 13 games.

The defending league champion Panthers (20-22, 10-7) remained in second place in the OVC as they salvaged the finale of the three-game series.

"They kind of stuck it to us yesterday," said EIU coach Jim Schmitz of Southeast's 9-2 and 7-1 victories. "We talked last night about when you're playing the champions and they smack you, you have to smack back. We didn't do that yesterday.

"We talked about playing for pride today. It was a great comeback and this gets us feeling better about ourselves."

EIU first baseman Brian Nickell capped the Panthers' comeback from a 4-0 deficit with a mammoth home run well beyond the left-center-field fence with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the ninth inning. The grand slam off Tim Alvarez (4-1) broke a 4-4 tie.

Southeast coach Mark Hogan, while naturally disappointed with the way the game turned out, wouldn't let that detract from what the Indians accomplished over the weekend as they wrapped up the OVC title despite having one league series remaining.

"Today would have been a day to be flat, but we weren't," Hogan said. "I thought we played hard and we played well, but give Eastern Illinois credit. After we put it to them Saturday, to come back with a great comeback says a lot about their club.

"But it was still a big weekend for us, no matter what happened today."

Southeast starting pitcher Donnie Fuller turned in his third consecutive stellar performance, working five shutout innings. Fuller, who allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out seven, has given up just two runs in his last 15 innings.

"He did a tremendous job," Hogan said.

Mark Frazier came on to start the sixth with the Indians holding a 4-0 lead. The normally reliable Frazier gave up three runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Alvarez, Southeast's usual hurler for the final game of OVC series who has been extremely solid since entering the rotation, did not start Sunday because Hogan wants to use him against Arkansas, which the Indians visit Tuesday and Wednesday.

But Alvarez was available for relief duty and he came on in the eighth, getting the final out with a runner on second base to preserve a 4-3 lead.

However, things unraveled for Alvarez in the ninth as an error and two singles loaded the bases with nobody out. A walk forced in the tying run and, with one out, Nickell's bomb gave EIU its first lead of the day.

"It felt good when I hit it," Nickell said. "After yesterday, this gives us some confidence."

Nick Albu (3-3) was stellar in relief for the Panthers, allowing two hits and no runs over the final 4 1/3 innings.

Both teams had 10 hits. Denver Stuckey, Clemente Bonilla and Zach Borowiak all had two for the Indians, with Bonilla driving in two runs. Stuckey, Southeast's leadoff batter, has led off seven of his last eight games with a hit.