TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Interstat) — The Eastern Illinois Panthers erupted for eight first-inning runs and cruised to a 13-4 victory over the Florida A&M Rattlers on Friday afternoon at Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium.

Eastern Illinois sent 12 batters to the plate in the opening frame, capitalizing on timely hitting and wild pitches to build an insurmountable lead. The Panthers totaled 12 hits, with Kyree Alexander, Brett Stanley and James Love keying the early outburst. Zak Goodwin added a two-run single in the second.

Florida A&M scored an unearned run in the second and three more in the seventh on RBI hits from Justen Crews and Will Brown but never threatened. The Rattlers managed six hits total.

The win opens the season for Eastern Illinois at 1-0, while Florida A&M starts 0-1. The teams continue their series with a doubleheader Saturday.