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Game 1 Box  |  Game 2 Box  |  Photo Gallery (by Sandy King)

CHARLESTON, Ill. - Eastern Illinois softball split Saturday's doubleheader with visiting Tennessee Tech. The Panthers took game one 5-4 with a walk-off win in the seventh, while the Golden Eagles took game two 7-1. Haley Mitchell led the Panthers going 4-for-8 at the plate on the day. Maria DeVito tallied a team-best two RBI.

The Panthers fall to 29-12 overall and 8-4 in the OVC. TTU improves to 15-26 overall and 6-8 in the OVC.

EIU returns to action tomorrow at 12 pm for a home doubleheader vs. Jacksonville State.

Game 1
The Panthers won game one of today's doubleheader 5-4 with a walk-off victory in the seventh. Kayla Bear and Mitchell were both 2-for-4 at the plate.

TTU got on the board first with one run in the top of the third inning. Gabby LaSala singled to left field scoring Jessie Lowery. The Panthers struck back scoring two runs in the bottom of the third. Breya Cooper led off with a double to center field. Bear bunted and beat out the throw to first base advancing Cooper. Cooper went on to score following a throwing error by TTU's catcher. Mady Poulter singled to right field tallying and RBI as Bear scored the Panthers second run of the inning putting them up 2-1.
 
The Golden Eagles tied the game in the fifth scoring one run on one hit. The Panthers scored another two in the bottom of the sixth inning off a single up the middle from DeVito, but TTU tied the game for a second time with two more runs in the top of the seventh inning.

Mitchell singled up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Ashley Bartlett entered the game to pinch run for Mitchell and scored the game winning run off Mia Davis' double to center field. The Panthers beat TTU 5-4 to take game one.

Jessica Wireman pitched 6.1 innings and recorded eight strikeouts. Michelle Rogers pitched the final 0.2 innings and recorded the win improving to 14-4 on the season.

Game 2
Four players hit home runs for TTU in their 7-1 game two win over the Panthers.

Gabby LaSala sparked the home run rally in the top of the first inning scoring her and Sydney Love-Baker. TTU scored three runs on two hits in the first inning jumping out to a 3-0 lead.

The Golden Eagles hit two more homers in the top of the fourth inning. Bayli Cruse led off for TTU crushing a solo homer to right center. Hallie Davis followed suit hitting a two run home run to give TTU another three run, three hit inning. 

The Panthers got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning avoiding a shut out. Cooper doubled to right center and eventually advanced to third on a passed ball. Andrea Roberts would bat her in with a hard hit single through the right side. The Golden Eagles would add one more run in the bottom of the seventh off their fourth homer hit by Kayla Hughes giving them the 7-1 victory.

Rogers pitched three innings for EIU and fell to 14-5 on the season. Valerie Thompson pitched the final four innings recording two strikeouts.