CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Eastern Illinois softball earned the Ohio Valley Conference series over host Austin Peay on Thursday (March 19), as the Panthers edged the Lady Govs in a 12-8 slugfest at Cheryl Holt Field in Clarksville, Tenn.
Eastern earned the 2-1 series win over APSU (2-14/1-2) following yesterday's 12-0, five-inning, rout of the Lady Govs in the Wednesday nightcap. The win upped the Panthers season mark to 7-12 overall and 2-1 in early league action.
The Panthers will now travel to Morehead State for a Saturday noon twinbill, followed by a trip to Eastern Kentucky on Sunday afternoon, with first pitch also set for noon, central time.
"It was good to see us answer with big bats today," said second year head coach Angie NIcholson, "as we had some people really step up in this series. We hope to continue to hit the ball well and push runs across the plate this coming weekend."
Junior
April Markowski shined in today's win over APSU as the outfielder went 4-for-4 at the plate, which included a three-run home run over the centerfield wall, in addition to an RBI double. Sophomore
Amber Toenyes also had a fine day hitting-wise, going 3-for-4, with her own two-run bomb over the left centerfield fence.
Senior
Bailey O'Dell followed her outstanding Wednesday play with a 2-for-3 plate performance and tied Markowski with three runs in today's victory. Junior transfer
Katie Watson scampered for a stolen base, as sophomore
Hannah Rachor added two hits and two RBIs, while earning her first win of the season in the circle behind 2.2 innings of work.
Newcomer
Jessica Wireman earned the start while classmate
Michelle Rogers also say action as the duo combined for three strikeouts.
Team-wise, the Panthers out-hit the host Lady Govs, 14-to-11, but also committed a pair of miscues for zero for APSU. APSU lost the left-on-base stat tally as the Lady Govs stranded 11 runners to five for the Panthers.
In a game of runs, the Panthers jumped out to an early 4-0 lead following two and half innings of play, as Toenyes drilled a two-RBI single down the right field line in the opening frame to plate O'Dell and junior outfielder
Jennette Isaac. Then in the third, Toenyes delivered the two-out long ball to also bring home Markowski.
However, the Lady Govs would not go quietly as the league rivals erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the third to take the 7-4 lead.
But the Panthers would counter with five runs of their own in their half of the fifth inning as senior
Hannah Cole scored Isaac with a shot up the middle, Markowski followed with her own RBI single to left to plate O'Dell. Toenyes added another RBI single before Rachor roped a two-RBI double to left center.
Eastern would add to their 9-7 lead in the top of the sixth thanks to Markowski's three-run bomb, yet the Lady Govs would add one more run in the same inning for the final margin of victory, stranding three baserunners in the final two frames.
APSU also used three different pitchers in the slug-fest as two players also delivered home runs and one double in the losing effort.
With the win, the Panthers now own a 47-13 all-time series lead over the Lady Govs, as Eastern has now earned the squad's fifth consecutive OVC series victory over APSU.
For the mid-week three-game series, EIU hit .421 overall, as compared to .280 for APSU, while also leading in runs (31-to-16), hits (40-to-21), doubles (10-to-3), and edging Peay in home runs (4-for-3). APSU led in stolen bases (5-for-3), however, and in team errors (4-for-7).
... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID
