NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Eastern Illinois softball opened OVC play with two wins over Belmont Saturday afternoon. Haley Mitchell led the Panthers batting .545 on the day finishing with six hits including three doubles and eight RBI. EIU beat the Bruins 3-2 in nine innings in game one followed by an 11-8 win in game two.
 
The Panthers improve to 22-8 overall and 2-0 in the OVC. Belmont falls to 19-6 overall and 0-2 in the OVC.
 
In game one of today's action, Belmont jumped out to a quick lead in the first inning. Cook scored on a sac fly from Thomas as the Bruins held on to a 1-0 lead through the fifth inning.
 
The Panthers scored two runs over the sixth and seventh inning to take a 2-1 lead. Kayla Bear scored first for EIU as Mitchell singled down the left field line in the top of the sixth. Kristen Ames added a run off Morgan LaMore's single to left center in the top of the seventh, but the Bruins managed to tie the game 2-2 forcing extra innings.
 
Maria DeVito singled in the top of the ninth inning tallying the game winning RBI. Megan Burton scored to give the Panthers the 3-2 win.
 
Jessica Wireman and Brooklin Lee pitched complete games. Wireman improved to 9-4 with eight strikeouts while Lee fell to 10-2 with nine strikeouts.
 
Both teams exploded offensively in the second game of the doubleheader combining for 14 runs through the first three innings.  Mitchell, Mia Davis, and Kendyl McKeough recorded hits in the first inning to put the Panthers on the board. Belmont responded with four hits of their own and took a 3-1 lead into the second inning of play.
 
DeVito homered to right field to spark EIU's second inning offense recording two RBI on the play. Two errors by the Bruins and a sac fly from McKeough led the Panthers to a five run inning as they jumped out to a 6-3 lead. Belmont responded scoring three runs to tie the game at 6-6.
 
Mitchell doubled to right field in the top of the third scoring Bear and Kiley Pelker, but Belmont rallied and tied the game for a second time with two hits and two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
 
Mitchell and McKeough stepped up for EIU in the seventh securing an 11-8 win over the Bruins. Mitchell doubled down the right field line tallying two more RBI followed by McKeough with a double to center field to score Mitchell.
 
Michelle Rogers pitched the first two innings for the Panthers with Valerie Thompson pitching the next 3.1 innings. Thompson finished with three strikeouts and improved to 3-0 on the mound. Wireman finished the game and tallied her sixth save of the season.
 
EIU returns to action tomorrow with a doubleheader at Tennessee State. Game one is set to start at 1 pm.