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Tulsa Invite Info

TULSA, Okla. -- Eastern Illinois softball defeated South Dakota State, 6-1, on Saturday in the squad's first game of the Tulsa Embassy Suites Invitational.  The win upped the Panther record to 3-2 on the early season.

Junior Kiley Holtz connected for a homer, while sophomore Ashley Anderton jacked her first career bomb, as Eastern out-hit the Jackrabbits (3-9) nine-to-three.  Seniors Denee' Menzione and Megan Nelson, meanwhile, both earned a sac fly RBI helping lead the Panthers to their third straight win.

Junior thrower Amber May allowed just one SDSU hit and zero runs, as she struck out seven and walked one batter off her five innings of work.  She earns the win to improve to 2-1.

Junior Melinda Jackson and Holtz both went 2-for-4, with each picking up a double-bagger.

In the top of the second, Menzione's flyout to center field scored Holtz from third, marking the first sac fly of the season for EIU.  Then a walk-up homer by Holtz at the top of the fourth frame helped extend the Panther lead to 2-0.

After the Jackrabbits finally earned their first hit of the game in their half of the fourth inning, EIU busted out for three runs in the fifth.

Nelson, who reached base via one of three SDSU errors on the day, came home off the first double of the season by Jackson.  Anderton then fired a long ball straight over center field, scoring Jackson in the process.  The homer was the first for the sophomore designated player, after previously connecting for two doubles in EIU's season opening invite championship last weekend.

Freshman Hailie Ray relieved May in the circle in the middle of the fifth inning, where she struck out and walked a batter each, while also giving up two hits and the lone SDSU run.

Newcomer left fielder Melise Brown, who tallied the other hit for EIU, got caught stealing base for only the first time this year, off four tries, after going 3-for-3 at last week's GSU invite play.

The Panthers return to the field later this afternoon, where they will battle Texas State (3-7) in the 5 pm nightcap.  TSU beat UMKC, 4-2, in the first game of the invite on Friday.

In other invite action, the host Tulsa squad won both their Friday games over SDSU and UMKC, 3-0 and 7-0, respectively, while Creighton downed UMKC, 9-4, in the opening game Saturday morning.

... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID