Game One Box Score |
Game Two Box Score
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Eastern Illinois softball team extended their win streak to five games sweeping Southeast Missouri in a doubleheader Saturday afternoon.
With the wins, the Panthers improve to 19-15 on the year and 5-1 in the OVC while SEMO drops to 15-16 and 0-6 in the conference.
Junior
Jessica Wireman recorded both wins on the mound for EIU throwing nine strikeouts over her 12 innings pitched Saturday to pull even on the season with a 9-9 record.
Senior
Ashlynne Paul set new career marks against the Redhawks with four RBIs in game one while hitting her first career home run.
The Redhawks took an early lead to open Saturday's doubleheader thanks to an RBI single from Rachel Anderson in the bottom of the first to give SEMO a 1-0 lead.
Michelle Rogers answered for EIU in the second inning following up her first career hit in EIU's last game against TSU with her first career triple to score a pinch-running
Amber Matchett from second base to knot the game up 1-1.
SEMO regained the lead in the bottom of the third inning as the first four batters reached base safely. Following a lead-off double from Mykaela Arellanes, Madison Harris reached first off a Panther error. Another Redhawk double, this time from Anderson, brought one run around to score with an RBI single on the next at-bat scoring two more runners to give SEMO a 4-1 lead.
Following SEMO's three runs, Wireman stepped in to replace Rogers on the mound. Wireman went on to record the win throwing six strikeouts over her five innings of work.
The Panthers tied the game once more in the fourth inning as Paul smashed a three-run home run over the left field wall to make it 4-4.
EIU took their first lead of the game loading the bases with two outs in the fifth inning. Junior transfer
Kiley Pelker stood tall taking a hit by pitch to advance all runners and walk in
Katie Grunert from third base to make it 5-4.
The Panthers extended their lead in the top of the seventh inning with runners on second and third base. On the following at-bat,
Maria DeVito took a walk only to advance to second base off a wild pitch on the fourth ball. The wild pitch also scored
Mady Poulter from third base. Paul's RBI sacrifice bunt on the next bat gave the Panthers a 7-4 lead.
Paul recorded four of EIU's six RBIs while going 1-for-3 at the plate.
The Redhawks attempted to pull even in the bottom of the seventh inning, but could only manage one run thanks to another RBI single from Pruett to earn the final score of 7-5.
In the Panthers' second game of the day, EIU got on the board early in the top of the first with an RBI double to left center field from
Mia Davis.
EIU added to their 1-0 lead in the third inning putting runners on second and third base with two outs.
Haley Mitchell was able to reach first off a Redhawk error scoring
Tori Johnson from third base to make it 2-0 on the unearned run.
Amber Toenyes recorded one more run in the inning with an RBI single to right field to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead at the end of the third.
After back-to-back singles to open the seventh inning,
Kayla Bear recorded her only hit of the day smacking an RBI double to center field to extend EIU's lead to 4-0.
SEMO avoided the shutout loss in the bottom of the seventh thanks to an RBI single from Pruett who finished the day 4-for-6 with two RBIs.
Wireman and the Panther defense recorded their second win of the day allowing only three hits, two of which came in the seventh inning.
Taylor Monahan finished the game going 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored.
EIU continues OVC play next weekend with a road trip to Kentucky featuring doubleheaders against Morehead State Saturday (Apr. 8) and Eastern Kentucky Sunday (Apr. 9).
