Game One Box Score |
Game Two Box Score |
Photo Gallery (By
Sandy King)
CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois softball closed out their weekend home stand sweeping Tennessee State to improve to 17-15 overall and 3-1 in the OVC. The Panthers won game one of Sunday's doubleheader 5-3 before downing the Tigers 9-1 in five innings to close out the day.
Following the losses TSU drops to 8-19 on the year and 0-4 in conference play.
Both
Michelle Rogers and
Jessica Wireman recorded complete game victories to improve to 9-6 and 7-9 on the year respectively.
Senior
Amber Toenyes led the Panthers at the plate finishing the day 4-for-6 with three RBIs and a triple.
Scoring started quickly Sunday afternoon as TSU's Danica Gleason hit an RBI triple to give the Lady Tigers the lead 1-0 in the top of the first inning. Gleason would score from third on the next at-bat thanks to a sacrifice hit from Sarah Snell to end the top of the first ahead 2-0.
The Panthers answered right back in the bottom of the first inning after
Mia Davis reached first base off a Lady Tiger error with two outs.
Haley Mitchell was able to bring Davis around to score from first base with a double to right center field putting EIU on the board 2-1. Toenyes tied the game up 2-2 on the next at-bat with an RBI single to center field.
TSU regained the lead in the top of the third inning as the Lady Tigers recorded another sacrifice hit this time from Courtney Gearlds scoring Kasey Cox from third base to make it 3-2.
Not to be out done the Panthers responded in the bottom of the third inning with a lead off infield single from
Kayla Bear. Bear went on to steal second and third base scoring off a ground-out from Davis to knot the game up 3-3.
After Mitchell was walked, Toenyes earned her second RBI of the game smashing a triple to deep right field clearing the bases and giving EIU a 4-3 lead. Toenyes' triple was only the second of her career, the first took place last season against none other than Tennessee State.
EIU added one more run before the inning was over thanks to a single up the middle from
Mady Poulter to make it 5-3.
Rogers closed out the rest of the game with four scoreless innings throwing five strikeouts on her way to the seven-inning victory. At the plate, Rogers earned her first career hit at EIU finishing game one 1-for-3.
The Panthers bats really came alive in game two as EIU opened the gates in the bottom of the second inning. With runners on the corners and two outs,
Kiley Pelker hit her third double of the season to clear the bases and give EIU a 2-0 lead. Bear followed that up with a double of her own on the next at-bat to bring around Pelker to score. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Bear gave EIU one more run in the inning scoring on an infield single from
Taylor Monahan to close out the inning with a 4-0 lead.
TSU was able to avoid the shutout in the third inning as Cox was able to score from third base during Selena Crafton's rundown to make it 4-1.
Davis recorded her second RBI of the game in the following inning scoring Bear from second base off an RBI single to right center field. Davis eventually scored herself off a sacrifice fly to right field from Poulter to give EIU a 6-1 lead. Davis finished the day with three RBIs while both she and Bear recorded three runs scored.
EIU closed out the game in the bottom of the fifth inning putting runners on first and second with two outs. Davis singled through the right side to score
Andrea Roberts before eventually advancing to second on a passed ball. With runners on second and third base Mitchell and Toenyes recorded back-to-back singles to bring two runners around and earn the walk-off 9-1 victory in five innings.
Four Panthers finished the game recording two or more hits led by Mitchell who went 3-for-4.
Wireman finished the game with four strikeouts in her five innings on the mound.
EIU will now hit the road for a seven-game stretch beginning with a doubleheader at Southeast Missouri Saturday (Apr. 1) starting at 1 p.m.
