Photo Gallery (Sandy King)

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois softball earned an Ohio Valley Conference home twinbill split versus regular-season league champion SIU Edwardsville on Saturday (May 2), as the Cougars won the first game, 7-2, for the conference title, before the Panthers clawed back for a 4-3 nightcap win at Williams Field.

The split moves the Panthers to 19-25 overall and 13-11 in league play, while the SIUE squad now own respective 39-13 and 20-5 marks to earn the right to host the upcoming four day, eight team conference championship next week.

The two instate OVC rivals will play a noon rubber game on Sunday (May 3), in the regular-season finale for both squads.

For the day, senior Hannah Cole and junior Katie Watson led all Panthers with a 2-for-6 day at the plate, as junior April Markowski and senior Bailey O'Dell tied Watson with respective two-RBI performances.

Watson joined junior Jennette Isaac and sophomore Hannah Rachor with stolen bases in the twinbill.

In the second game victory, the visiting Cougar squad jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the opening frame, but the Panthers would even the score in their half of the third inning as O'Dell drilled her tenth home run of the season, and also plating Isaac in the process.

EIU added another run in the fifth as junior Haylee Beck first crushed her second career triple, and first of the season, to right field, followed by Markowski's RBI shot up the middle to bring Beck home for the score.

Then in the sixth, Watson dropped an RBI blooper shot to center field which allowed freshman pinch runner Taylor Monahan to scamper all the way home from first base for the eventual game-winning run.

The visitors would threaten to either tie or retake the lead in the top of the seventh, as SIUE pulled to within a run of the Panthers off a two-out RBI shot.  But the EIU defense would hold on for the win as the Cougars would strand a pair of runners with the ground out and ultimate victory by Eastern.

Panther pitcher Michelle Rogers earned her second consecutive complete game win in the circle, as the freshman improved to 8-12 overall as she earned a pair of walks a strikeouts and held the Cougars to just five hits and two earned runs.

In the series opener, the Cougars erupted for six early runs in the first frame and All-OVC pitcher Haley Chambers limited the Panther offense as she retired 16 EIU batters via strikes and had a no-hitter going through the first four frames.

The Panthers would make a run in the fifth inning, and ruining Chambers nearly perfect game in the process, as Rachor earned EIU's first hit to left center, eventually getting to third base via the sac bunt and stolen base.  Watson then roped an RBI single to center to allow Rachor to touch home plate.  After Beck reached base off a SIUE miscue, Watson would eventually come home herself thanks to Markowski's RBI single.

Pitcher Jessica Wireman was tagged for the complete loss, dropping the freshman to 10-12 overall as she allowed a pair of walks but fanned five SIUE batters and was only tagged for two earned runs.

With the split, the Cougars still maintain a 16-10 all-time series advantage, although the nightcap victory helped the Panthers snap a recent six-game losing streak to SIUE.

Prior to the first pitch at tomorrow's noon home finale, the Panthers are set to recognize seniors Hannah Cole and Bailey O'Dell for their outstanding four year Panther careers.
 
... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID