Game 1 Boxscore (PDF) | Game 2 Boxscore (PDF)

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Following a pair of Saturday (March 1) wins over Colgate, Eastern Illinois softball will advance to the title game of Charleston Southern Tournament tomorrow afternoon, as the Panthers topped the Raiders, 5-0 and 6-5 (9), to improve to 12-6 overall.

On Sunday (March 2), the Panthers will take on the Mountaineers of Appalachian State following the noon consolation matchup between the host CSU Buccaneers and Colgate.

Junior Bailey O'Dell and sophomore April Markowski led the Panther hitting on the day off respective .667 (4-for-6) and .600 (3-for-5) marks.

Markowski tied senior Reynae Hutchinson with three RBIs, while also earning a double alongside junior Hannah Cole.

Senior Hanna Mennenga upped her overall record to 7-1 in the circle as she retired 20 total Colgate batters over the course of both games, as she allowed just two earned runs and four walks, while limiting the Raider hitters to a low .170 bat average.

"We had some great pitching today," said first year EIU head coach Angie Nicholson, "as well as some timely hits. I think we grew up today as we were put into some situations we have not seen yet this season.

"I'm very proud of the team as it was definitely a full team effort today," added Nicholson. "We are looking forward to putting it all together in the championship tomorrow, which will definitely be another challenge and early-season test."

In the first game shutout of the Raiders, EIU got on the board in the top of the fourth as O'Dell delivered an RBI single to center to plate Markowski from third base. Newcomer Ashlynne Paul then added the first of two sac fly RBIs for EIU as she helped to bring home senior pinch runner Kaylie Pruett.

Panthers would pad their lead thanks to three additional runs in the top of the seventh, as Cole added her own sac fly RBI to score another senior pinch runner Morgan Biel. A two-run double down the left field line by Markowski would account for the final Panther score as Hutchinson and senior Brooke Owens.

Mennenga pitched a nice first game, as she retired 12 of the 24 batters she faced, allowing just two walks to earn her second shutout of the season.

With the early-morning win over Colgate, along with Appalachian State's mid-afternoon win over the host CSU squad, helped EIU earn the top seed of the tourney heading into semifinal action and the immediate rematch with the Raiders.

In the second game versus Colgate, the Raiders jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind a two-run single in the opening frame.

But EIU would counter with a pair of runs in the second off respective RBI hits by both O'Dell and sophomore Haylee Beck would, followed by two more run in the third thanks to a two-run bomb by Hutchinson to also score Cole.

Yet a run in the fifth by Colgate would extend the game as the contest moved into International tiebreaker rules, as the Raiders and Panthers both earned a run in the eighth, before EIU was able to earn the 6-5 victory off a bases-loaded RBI walk by Hutchinson in the ninth.

Team-wise, EIU held the advantage over Colgate in batting (.351-to-.164), plus total hits (20-to-nine), runs ( 11-to-five), strikeouts thrown (23-to-three), and stolen bases (six-to-one).

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