BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Eastern Illinois softball swept day one at the Runnin' Bulldog Tournament in Boiling Springs, N.C. The Panthers beat Western Illinois 6-1 to open play and posted a 5-3 come-back win over Western Carolina.
In the opening game of the Runnin' Bulldog Tournament, the Panthers defeated state rival Western Illinois 6-1. EIU tallied 12 hits in the game with
Kayla Bear,
Haley Mitchell, and
Mady Poulter each with two.
The Panthers first scored in the bottom of the third inning. Bear hit a single up the middle to get on base and scored two batters later as Mitchell hit her second double of the season. Mitchell finished the game with a team-leading three RBIs.
EIU scored three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Morgan LaMore started the inning off with a single to center field and quickly scored as Bear hit a triple to right center.
Haley Mitchell hit a sacrifice fly to right field scoring Bear.
Mia Davis then connected and doubled to right center and scored on
Breya Cooper's single to put the Panthers up 4-0.
Payton Abbot scored WIU's only run of the game in the top of the sixth inning, but Poulter and
Maria DeVito each found their way around the bases in the bottom of the sixth to secure the Panthers third win of the season.
Jessica Wireman pitched a complete game for EIU. She recorded seven strikeouts and is now 3-0 on the season.
Western Carolina struck early scoring two runs in the top of the first. Abigail Daniels reached first base after being hit by a pitch and eventually scored for WCU on Hunter Gibbons homerun. The Panthers responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game. Pitched
Michelle Rogers held strong on the mound for the Panthers not allowing another run until the sixth inning. WCU took a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth.
The Panthers tallied three hits in the sixth.
Mia Davis opened the inning up with a single.
Megan Burton followed suit and singled to left field. Poulter took advantage of two players on base and hit a triple to tally two RBIs. LaMore hit a sacrifice fly out to left field scoring Poulter to put EIU up by two runs heading into the final inning of play.
EIU subbed Wireman in for Rogers at the top of the seventh. Wireman gave up one hit, but Western Carolina fell to the Panthers 5-3. Rogers tallied her first win of the season as Wireman recorded her first save.
Bear and Poulter each tallied two more hits vs. WCU and finished the day with four hits each.
The Panthers will play two more games tomorrow. They will play host school Gardner-Webb at 1 pm. The game will be broadcasted on the Big South Network. EIU will then play Western Carolina at 3 pm.
