CROWN POINT, Ind. – Eastern Illinois softball earned a Saturday (Feb. 21) split versus IUPUI and Butler, as the Panthers fell to the Jaguars, 3-1, before hitting past the Bulldogs, 5-2. The late additions to the EIU schedule came about after weather cancelled the WKU Tourney as the make-up games were held inside the Spartan Dome over in Crown Point, Ind.
With the split, the Panthers move to 4-8 on the early-season as EIU will now have two weeks off to prepare for the final early-season tourney, traveling to Bloomington, Ind. to face the Hoosiers and the Billikins of Saint Louis twice on March 7-8.
In the nightcap win over Butler, senior
Hannah Cole went 2-for-2 at the plate, which included a solo homerun and a stolen base.
Sophomore
Amber Toenyes nailed a two-RBI shot while junior
April Markowski added the ultimate game-winner off a sac fly RBI in the opening frame, as EIU held the three-run lead until the bottom of the third when the Bulldogs pulled to within one behind two scores of their own.
After Cole's walk-up bomb in the sixth, freshman pinch-hitter
Taylor Miokovic came off the bench to drill a RBI double for the final Eastern score.
Freshman
Michelle Rogers earned the complete game win as she struck out six Bulldog batters, allowed three walks and five hits.
Team-wise EIU out-hit Butler, 7-to-5, but did have one error while stranding six baserunners as compared to five for the Bulldogs.
In the first game loss to IUPUI, the Panthers enjoyed an early 1-0 lead off senior
Bailey O'Dell's RBI single to center plated junior
Haylee Beck, but the Jags would tie it in the fourth before tacking on two more scores in the bottom of the six for the win.
Rogers was tabbed for the loss in the circle as the Panthers were held to just three total hits while also committing an error.
... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID
