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Photo Gallery (by
Sandy King)
Game One Box Score |
Game Two Box Score
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Late game rallies shaped Eastern Illinois softball's home opening doubleheader against Belmont Friday evening as the Panthers were able to pick up a win in their nightcap game.
EIU fell to Belmont 4-3 in game one Friday after the Bruins recorded two runs in the top of the seventh. The Panthers answered back in game two winning 3-1 and scoring all three runs thanks to a home run in the bottom of the sixth from
Amber Toenyes.
Following the split the Panthers remain at .500 on the season with a 15-15 record now standing at 1-1 in the OVC. The Bruins leave Charleston 24-7 overall with a similar 1-1 conference record.
Jessica Wireman recorded both the win and the loss on the mound for EIU finishing Friday with six strikeouts over 8.2 innings pitched. Wireman is now 6-9 on the year after earning the complete game victory in EIU's nightcap.
The Panthers got on the board first in game one with a lead-off single from
Haley Mitchell to open the fourth inning. After coming in to pinch run for Mitchell,
Amber Matchett would come around to score from first base thanks to a double from
Mady Poulter to give EIU a 1-0 lead. Poulter put EIU up 2-0 on the next at-bat as Toenyes recorded an RBI ground-out.
Belmont pulled one back in the following inning loading the bases off three singles. One more single from the Bruins' Kayla Wells made it 2-1 forcing Wireman to come in for relief replacing
Michelle Rogers. Wireman was able to close out the inning with back-to-back fly outs to prevent any more damage in the inning.
Kayla Bear gave the Panthers back their two-run cushion in the bottom of the fifth after being walked. Bear went on to steal second and third base before scoring off an infield single from
Taylor Monahan. Bear finished the day recording five stolen bases.
After an RBI double from Jordan Spicer in the sixth inning pulled Belmont back within one run, the Bruins would complete the comeback in the top of the seventh. Bailey Sims tied the game up blasting a triple down the right field line to score Sami Long from first and make it 3-3. Sims would score on a wild pitch to earn the final score of 4-3 and give Belmont the win.
Belmont's Wells finished the game 3-for-4 and was the only player to record multiple hits in each game going 5-for-8 on the day.
In the nightcap game the Bruins picked up right where they left off as a sacrifice fly from Chelsey Deloney scored a waiting Baylee Cook from third base to give Belmont a 1-0 lead at the end of the first inning.
The Bruin's Lexi Rouse and Wireman were locked in a pitching dual throughout most of the nightcap as each pitcher held both teams to a combined nine hits throughout the game.
It looked as if Belmont would get the 1-0 decision until the bottom of the sixth inning as
Mia Davis hit a two-out single.
Haley Mitchell followed suit with a single through the left side allowing Toenyes to step up to the plate and blast the game-winning three-run home run.
Wireman closed out the game striking out two of the final three batters to give EIU the 3-1 win.
Toenyes finished the day recording four of EIU's six RBIs over the two-game span. Toenyes along with Bear, Davis, and Mitchell all recorded at least one hit in each game.
The Panthers close out the weekend Sunday hosting Tennessee State in a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.
