Box Score
OXFORD, Ala. - The Eastern Illinois softball team rallied late against Murray State to win their OVC Tournament opening game 6-5 over the Racers. With the win the Panthers move on to the second round of the tournament to face No. 1 seed Jacksonville State.
EIU recorded four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to overcome a 5-2 deficit and secure the victory.
Including today's win, The Panthers have now won their tournament-opener four of the past five seasons.
Jessica Wireman recorded the complete game victory throwing seven strikeouts to tie her postseason high and improve to 16-11 on the year.
Murray State was able to take a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the fifth following a two-run home run from Jessica Twaddle in the top of the inning.
EIU answered loading the bases off three of the first four batters. The Panthers scored on the next three at-bats thanks to a ground-out from
Haley Mitchell followed by back-to-back singles from
Amber Toenyes and
Mady Poulter to tie the game 5-5.
Toenyes scored the winning run for EIU advancing from third base on a passed ball from MSU's Mason Robinson to catcher Jocelynn Rodgers giving EIU the 6-5 edge. Robinson finished the game with four strikeouts over six innings to fall to 23-8 on the year. The Panther defense kept the Racers at bay for the final two innings to secure the victory.
The Panthers opened Wednesday's game taking the lead in the bottom of the second inning as Poulter reached on an error eventually advancing to second on a wild pitch.
Tori Johnson then struck a bloop single over the first baseman's head on the following at-bat to score Poulter and give EIU the 1-0 lead. Johnson advanced to second on the play as MSU attempted to throw out Poulter.
After advancing to third on a groundout, Johnson scored the unearned run as
Maria DeVito reached first off another Racer error to extend EIU's lead to 2-0.
Wireman retired the first 10 batters for MSU before Kaylee Ranburger finally recorded Murray State's first hit of the game in the top of the fourth inning. Ranburger came around to score off a double from Rodgers to put the Racers on the board 2-1.
After loading the bases, Murray State took the lead in the inning as Cayla Levins struck a ground ball to Wireman who attempted to get the force out at home. The throw would prove to be too high for
Andrea Roberts at catcher hitting the backstop and allowing two unearned runs to score to give MSU a 3-2 lead at the end of the fourth inning.
MSU's Ranburger led all players going 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored followed by Twaddle who recorded two runs scored as well to go with two RBIs.
EIU finished the game with six total hits from six different players. The Panthers will continue tournament play Thursday at 3 p.m.
