PENNINGTON BREAKS SE's WIN RECORD

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Todd Pennington's latest gem has made him the most successful single-season pitcher in the history of Southeast Missouri State University baseball.

Pennington allowed just one hit over five shutout innings Saturday afternoon as the Indians handed Eastern Illinois its first Ohio Valley Conference defeat of the year, 6-2 in the first game of a doubleheader.

EIU, which entered the twin bill having already clinched the OVC regular-season title, rallied for a 9-7 victory in the nightcap on a game-ending three-run, two-out homer by Chris Martin in the bottom of the seventh. The Panthers are 33-18 overall and 18-1 in league play.

Southeast, which began Saturday having locked up second place in the OVC, is 34-17 overall and 15-5 in conference action.

A junior right-hander who is the national Division I leader in earned-run average, Pennington improved his record to 12-1 to break the school's single-season victory record. The Shawnee (Ill.) High School product passed Ryan Spille and Bryan Harper, who each won 11 games.

Pennington, who lowered his minuscule ERA to 0.81, allowed just an infield single in the fourth inning. One other Panther reached base on an error. Pennington struck out five and did not issue a walk. He was relieved after the fifth inning in order to be as fresh as possible for Wednesday's start of the OVC Tournament.

The Indians led 4-0 after five innings. EIU scored twice in the sixth off Andy Davidson, but Greg Lunski hurled the final 1 2/3 innings to earn his second save. Southeast gave him a cushion with two more runs in the seventh.

Tristen McDonald and Shane Allen both homered in the opener for the Indians, who outhit EIU 8-5. Brad Beatty had two hits for Southeast while Allen and Jeff Bourbon each drove in a pair of runs.

In the second game, Southeast erased an early 2-0 lead with a six-run third, but EIU came back in the bottom of the frame on a game-tying grand slam by Keith Laski that knocked out starter Brad Purcell.

Lunski then turned in another stellar relief performance as he blanked the Panthers over the next three innings.

Southeast scored an unearned run in the top of the seventh as Tristen McDonald's single plated Zach Borowiak, who had reached on an error to start the frame, putting the Indians ahead 7-6.

After a leadoff single in the EIU seventh, Lunski was replaced by Jeffrey Hilz. A sacrifice and a single left the Panthers with runners on first and third with one out. Hilz got an infield pop fly for the second out, but then Martin lofted an 0-2 pitch over the center-field fence.

The Indians, who were outhit 11-9 in the nightcap, got two hits from both Bourbon and McDonald. Bourbon, McDonald and Beatty all delivered two RBIs.

The squads will close out the three-game series and regular season with a 1 p.m. contest today.