MOREHEAD Ky. – Eastern Illinois softball earned an Ohio Valley Conference split at Morehead State on Monday (March 23), as the Panthers dropped the opening contest, 4-3, but countered with an 8-2 nightcap victory.
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The Panthers move to 8-15 overall and 3-4 in early-season league action. Â The Eagles, meanwhile, drop to 9-13 and 1-3, respectively.
EIU will now return home to prepare for this coming weekend's home opener versus Murray State as the Racers come to town for a Saturday (March 28) twinbill and Sunday (March 29) single game. Â First pitch is set for 1 p.m. each both days at Williams Field.
In the nightcap victory, the host Eagles broke open a scoreless game in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two-run homer, but the Panthers would add three runs in their half of the sixth off a two-RBI single by sophomore
Amber Toenyes to plate seniors
Hannah Cole and
Bailey O'Dell. Â Sophomore
Hannah Rachor added her own RBI shot to center to bring home freshman pinch-runner
Tori Johnson.
Eastern then added four security runs in the next frame as O'Dell delivered her eighth base-clearing shot of the year to score juniors
Jennette Isaac and
April Markowski. Â While Rachor added another RBI single, this time to right field, to help plate Toenyes and Cole.
Rachor led all players with a 3-for-4 plate performance, while O'Dell and Cole each went 2-for-3 as well in the victory. Â The Panthers out-hit the Eagles, 11-to-5, while both squads stranded several potential scorers as Morehead State led that stat line, 8-to-7.
Freshman
Jessica Wireman earned the complete-game win to improve to 4-8 in the circle, fanning three Eagle batters, but walking six. Â A pair of MOR pitchers saw action and combined for nine Ks and five walks.
In the tough first game loss, the Panthers jumped out to an early 3-0 advantage in the fourth as junior transfer
Katie Watson helped O'Dell score off a sac fly RBI, despite the fact that the Eagle defender dropped the catch. Â EIU then added to the score with two more runs off a Morehead State miscue.
Unfortunately the host team would tie it up in the bottom of the fifth off a three-run homer, before earning the eventual game-winner in the sixth via an RBI single.
Michelle Rogers was tabbed for the loss, as the freshman falls to 3-6 overall. Â Junior
Haylee Beck was able to register a stolen base in the loss.
Team-wise, was out-hit 9-to-6 in the first game, stranding five baserunners to just four for the Eagles.
In twinbill numbers, Cole led the way with a .600 batting average (3-for-5), while O'Dell and Rachor each tallied three RBI. Â Wireman held the MSU bats to a low .217 mark, while defensively Rachor's six assisted led the way as EIU also had an errorless day.
... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SIDÂ
