Game One Box Score |
Game Two Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Eastern Illinois softball team continued tournament play Saturday at the Osprey Invitational winning their opening match against South Carolina State 7-1 before falling to Kansas 4-0.
The Panthers now stand at 5-3 on the year with one game still to play in the Osprey Invitational.
Four Panthers finished the day recording two hits as freshman
Haley Mitchell became the only player to earn a hit in each game.
EIU jumped out in front early in game one of Saturday's doubleheader thanks to a three-run home run from Mitchell in the top of the first. Mitchell's blast over the center field wall marks her second home run of the year as she put the Panthers on top 3-0 at the end of the first inning.
The Panthers added two more runs off another home run in the second inning this time from
Kayla Bear marking her second round-tripper of the Osprey Invitational.
EIU extended their lead even more in the top of the third inning as
Mady Poulter smacked a lead-off single up the middle eventually stealing second and advancing to third off a fly out to right field.
Amber Toenyes brought Poulter in to score hitting an RBI single up the middle to give EIU a 6-0 lead.
South Carolina State avoided the shutout in the bottom of the third inning after SCSU's Unique Whitehurst reached first on a fielding error. Day-sha Stewart singled to left center field on the next at-bat to move Whitehurst into scoring position. Whitehurst eventually came around to score advancing to third on a passed ball and crossing home plate off a wild pitch for the unearned run to make it 6-1.
EIU added one more run in the fourth inning as
Tori Johnson hit an RBI single to center field to score
Jennifer Ames from second base and give the Panthers a 7-1 lead.
Allison Golic recorded her first career win on the mound for EIU against the Bulldogs going four innings and throwing six strikeouts.
Katie Grunert came in to close out the game in the fifth inning recording three innings pitched and three strikeouts, two of which came against the final two batters of the game for SCSU.
It was a different story in the late game against Kansas for EIU as the Jayhawks got out in front early. After putting runners on first and second with one out, Kansas attempted a double steal with Jessie Roane and Erin McGinley. Both runners would end up scoring on the play to give KU a 2-0 lead following a throwing error from
Ashlynne Paul on the attempted pick-off.
The Jayhawks added two more runs in the top of the fourth inning off an RBI double from Harli Ridling. A sacrifice fly from Taylor Dodson on the next at-bat gave KU a 4-0 lead.
The Panthers finally got their first hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to a lead-off infield single from
Taylor Monahan. EIU loaded the bases following back-to-back singles, but could not capitalize recording their only hits of the game in the first three at-bats.
The loss marked
Michelle Rogers first of the season as she drops to 3-1 on the mound going seven innings and giving up two earned runs while recording two strikeouts.
The Panthers close out the Osprey Invitational tomorrow morning as they take on hosts North Florida at 10:15 a.m.
