The Pacer

Issue date: 4/3/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski/ UTM Sports Information

It was not the prettiest way to win a baseball game, but the Skyhawks are not worried about looking pretty when it comes to winning Ohio Valley Conference games at home.

Saturday afternoon, in a steady rain at Skyhawk Field, senior Douglas Nicodemus raced home in the eighth inning for the game-winning run when Kory Peppenhorst's throw to first base on a dropped third strike to Blake Turner sailed into right field.

With the 8-7 win over Eastern Illinois, the Skyhawks improve to 8-16 overall and 1-3 in the OVC standings. Eastern Illinois falls to 9-12 on the year and 2-2 in the league race.

The Skyhawks built a 6-1 lead after four innings. Junior Chris Rezabek hit his first home run of the season in the second inning and gave the Skyhawks a 2-0 advantage. Turner plated two more runs with a double to right center in the fourth.

The Panthers made it a one-run game with four runs in the top of the sixth inning. Jason Cobb opened the frame with a solo home run off Skyhawk starter Adam Ledlow. Adam Varrassi plated the other three runs with a three-run homer.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, senior Jason Hockaday hit his first home run of the season to give the Skyhawks a 7-5 lead.

Eastern Illinois had a chance to tie the game in the top of the seventh but Skyhawk center fielder Kyle Dudley robbed Richie Derback of a two-run home run when he reached over the fence to haul in Derback's blast.

Eastern Illinois tied the game at 7-7 in the top of the eighth inning when Mark Chagnon singled up the middle to drive in two runs.

The Skyhawks made the best of nine hits off three EIU pitchers. Turner, Dudley and Rezabek had two hits each.

Chadwick Cameron picked up his second win of the season on the mound. He pitched 1.1 innings. Ledlow pitched the first 5.1 innings and moved up to No. 4 on the Skyhawks' career list for most innings pitched (216.2). Travis Webb worked 2.1 innings in relief of Ledlow.

The Panthers bounced back from Saturday's loss to sweep the Skyhawks in a doubleheader on Sunday, winning 8-5 and 8-7 decisions.

The Skyhawks will hit the road tonight for a nonconference game against Lipscomb before returning to OVC action with a road series against Eastern Kentucky this weekend.

The Skyhawks' next home game will be April 9 when the team plays host to Martin Methodist College.

The next home conference series for the Skyhawks is scheduled for the weekend of April 14-15 against the Eagles of Morehead State.

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