RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Illinois softball lost a pair of Ohio Valley Conference contests at Eastern Kentucky on Sunday (March 22) afternoon via scores of 4-0 and 10-1 (5-inn.).
The two losses drop the Panthers season mark to 7-14 overall and 2-3 in early league action. The Panthers will next travel to Morehead State for a rescheduled Monday afternoon league twinbill, with first pitch of the doubleheader set for 12:30 p.m. at University Field in Morehead, Ky.
In the first game shutout, junior
April Markowski led all Panthers with a double, while senior
Hannah Cole and sophomore
Hannah Rachor also added singles.
The Panthers would strand six baserunners in the loss, compared to five for the host squad as the Colonels (13-16/2-0) scored three times in the third inning before adding a security run in the fifth for the margin of victory.
Freshman
Michelle Rogers was tabbed for the loss in the circle, dropping to 3-5 on the year despite fanning five EKU batters and allowing just one walk and three earned runs.
In the nightcap, the Colonels would enjoy an early 7-0 lead over the course of the first two frames, before junior
Kylie Bennett delivered a solo bomb over the centerfield fence to record her second homer of the season in the top of the fourth.
Unfortunately the host squad would score three more times in the bottom of the fourth as the Colonels hit four total long balls to eventually earn the five-inning mercy-rule victory and earn the season league sweep of the Panthers.
Three different pitchers saw action in the nightcap, as newcomer
Jessica Wireman falls to 3-8 on the year with the loss.
Once again the Panthers stranded more runners than the Colonels, seven-to-four. Besides Bennett's homer, classmate
Haylee Beck added a double, while Markowski added her own single.
... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID
