ISU Boxscore:  PDF | HTM
UA Boxscore:  PDF | HTM

Pre-Weekend Notes (PDF)
Live Stats | Arkansas (host)
Iowa State | Southern Miss
#19-Louisiana-Lafayette | Drake

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Four different Panthers collected a hit as the Eastern Illinois softball squad took an early lead and held on to beat Midwest rival Iowa State, 5-3, but then lost to the host Razorbacks, 9-1, in a six-inning nightcap at the Arkansas Invitational on Friday.

The split moves the Panthers to 6-4 on the season and 1-1 on the first day of the three-day, six-squad weekend tournament.

Versus Iowa State, third baseman Kiley Holtz nailed an RBI double, the second of the season for the junior, while senior center fielder Angie Danca's tallied her own RBI single.  An RBI walk by fellow senior Megan Nelson and a passed ball score would help lead the Panthers to the win.

In the bottom of the first inning, EIU, the designated home squad, lit up the scoreboard via Holtz's RBI double to left field, which scored freshman Melise Brown from second base. That would be followed by Danca's RBI single that plated junior first baseman Melinda Jackson.

Then in their own half of the second frame, Eastern loaded the bases via a single by sophomore catcher Hailee Hanna, two ISU miscues and a walk by Brown. Nelson would earn her RBI walk, scoring Morgan from third. That would force a pitching change by Iowa State, where they would pick up a strikeout on Jackson, but a passed ball by the ISU catcher would advance Brown to second and bring freshman second baseman Ally Seplak home from third.

An RBI ground-out to short by Holtz would account for the last Eastern run as Brown scampered home for her second score of the game.

However, ISU (7-10) would nearly pull even, finally getting on the board with a three-run fourth inning as three consecutive singles led to an RBI sacrifice fly and another RBI single.

Consecutive scoreless innings led up to a tense seventh inning for EIU, as the Cyclones took advantage of two Panther errors to place runners on second and third with zero outs. But junior ace thrower Amber May would get one of the inning by tallying her fourth strikeout of the game, which would then be followed by a ground out and line out helping the Panthers secure the win.

May upped her record to 3-2 with the complete game victory in the circle. Besides her four Ks, she held the ISU offense to zero hits until the fourth inning and didn't allow a single walk on the day after facing 29 batters.

Eastern picked up the win despite committing two errors to just one for ISU, while the Cyclones out-hit the Panthers, six-to-four. Plus, EIU stranded just three runners, compared to five for Iowa State. 

In the nightcap loss to Arkansas, the host team made the most of their home opener by scoring seven runs in the first two innings, including a two-RBI homer in the first.

The Panthers got on the board in their half of the third frame, as freshman Ally Seplak earned a ground-out RBI, plating sophomore Maria Sorrentino.

Unfortunately Arkansas tagged two more runs, including a two-out walk-off sacrifice fly RBI in the bottom of the sixth to win the mercy-rule game.

EIU finished with six hits in the loss, but also committed three miscues and allowed nine Razorback hits while stranding five runners to only two for UA.  Leading the Panthers was junior Kiley Holtz, off a 2-for-3 plate appearance.

Seniors Megan Nelson and Denee' Menzione also registered a hit, as did junior Melinda Jackson and sophomore Hayley Pieper.

Freshmen Hailie Ray and Natalie Wunderlich both provided the pitching, with Ray being tabbed with the loss off of one inning of work.  Wunderlich picked up the lone Panther strikeout, while they combined for five walks and nine runs and hits. 

The Panthers return to action on Saturday, facing Southern Miss and #19-Ranked Louisiana-Lafayette in consecutive early morning games, set for 9:30 and 11:30 am, respectively.

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