MACOMB, Ill. (Interstat) — Eastern Illinois held off a furious Western Illinois comeback to win 9-8 on Friday afternoon and evening at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium in an Ohio Valley Conference matchup.

The Panthers improved to 30-19 overall and 15-34 for the Leathernecks, who dropped to 15-34.

Bryce Riggs delivered a bounce-back start for Eastern Illinois after a rough outing against SIU Edwardsville. The right-hander pitched six innings, allowing no hits and three earned runs while striking out five. He did not surrender a hit but walked three batters and was charged with three runs on a walk, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice fly in the second inning when Western Illinois scored its first run.

Riggs’ performance was crucial for a Panthers team that had lost three straight games entering the contest, including a 16-4 defeat to SIU Edwardsville and a 15-4 loss to Illinois State. Eastern Illinois had won the series opener 7-1 on Thursday.

The game began with both teams trading scoreless frames. Eastern Illinois took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when Quade Peters scored on an error by Western Illinois first baseman Krayton Morse. The Panthers broke the game open in the fourth inning.

With two outs and runners on first and second, Ethan Rossi launched a three-run home run to center field, scoring Zak Goodwin and Peyton Wilson to make it 4-0. Rossi finished 2 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs.

Western Illinois answered in the bottom of the fourth when Gage Hoover singled and later scored on a fielder’s choice groundout. The Leathernecks trimmed the deficit to 4-3 in the fifth inning on an RBI single by Cordell Coburn, but Eastern Illinois responded in the sixth when Goodwin drove in two runs with a single to center field.

The Panthers extended their lead to 7-3 in the seventh inning on a two-run single by Goodwin and an RBI single by Rossi.

Western Illinois mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, Liam Bushey homered to center field to make it 7-4. Kamryn Link singled and later scored on a triple by Hoover, who drove in two runs to cut the Eastern Illinois lead to 7-6.

The Leathernecks continued to threaten in the eighth inning when Josh McClintock homered to left field to make it 7-7. Anthony Solis entered in relief for Eastern Illinois and retired the side without further damage.

Eastern Illinois reclaimed the lead in the top of the ninth. With one out, James Love singled and later scored on a home run to center field by Mike O’Conor, his second hit of the game. Chris Worcester then singled and scored on an RBI single by Rossi to make it 9-7.

The Leathernecks made one last push in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, Link homered to right field to cut the lead to 9-8. But Gage Hoover struck out swinging to end the game.

Goodwin led the Panthers with three hits and two RBIs. O’Conor added a home run and two RBIs. For Western Illinois, Hoover had two hits and two RBIs, including a triple. Link also homered and drove in a run.

The game featured 27 total hits, 14 for Eastern Illinois and 13 for Western Illinois. The two teams combined for five home runs and three errors.

Eastern Illinois used three pitchers. James Geshel allowed three earned runs in one inning of relief. Anthony Solis pitched two scoreless innings, striking out two and earning the save. For Western Illinois, Jason Buhl pitched six innings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs while striking out two.

The series continues Saturday at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Eastern Illinois 5, Western Illinois 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Eastern Illinois with a 71.20 percent probability to win.