AUBURN, Ala. – Eastern Illinois softball earned a Friday (Feb. 13) split to open weekend Auburn Invitational action down in Alabama, holding on to beat Winthrop, 4-3, prior to falling to Mercer, 6-4.
EIU now sits at 3-4 on the early-season prior to taking on Georgia State at noon and the 17th-ranked host Tiger squad at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday.
In the first game win, Eastern erupted for four runs to break a scoreless game in the bottom of the fifth frame as sophomore
Ashlynne Paul got things going as she connected on an RBI single down the right field line to plate junior
April Markowski. Newcomer
Andrea Roberts followed suit, drilling her own two-score shot in the same spot to bring home classmates
Jessica Wireman and
Taylor Monahan.
Senior
Bailey O'Dell added the eventual game-winner with an RBI ground out to first to score junior transfer
Katie Watson.
The Eagles of Winthrop (3-3) would pull to within a run of the Panthers thanks to a three-run bomb in the top of the seventh, but EIU freshman starter
Michelle Rogers got out of the inning with her seventh strikeout of the game to improve to 2-1 on the season. In addition to her seven Ks, she allowed just one walk and two earned runs.
In the tough nightcap loss to Mercer, senior catcher
Hannah Cole led all Panthers with three RBI off a pair of home runs, the first coming in solo fashion in the first, before also scoring classmate O'Dell in the third inning.
Junior
Jennette Isaac added an RBI single in the seventh as the Bears (5-2) scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames to pull ahead of the Panthers. Mercer also connected on the long ball as four different players delivered shots over the fence over the course of the contest.
Freshman pitcher
Jessica Wireman was tabbed with the loss to fall to 1-3 overall this season as she tallied three strikeouts and walks.
... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SIDÂ
