Game 1 Box |
Game 2 Box
KENNESAW, Ga. - Eastern Illinois softball opened the 2019 season today at the Rafter Memorial Classic hosted by Kennesaw State. The Panthers fell in the opening game 9-8 to Ohio University and picked up an 11-5 win over Kennesaw State to split the day's action.
EIU is 1-1 heading into a two game slate tomorrow. The Panthers will play UT Chattanooga at 2 pm and look to sweep their season series with KSU at 7 pm. They will wrap up their first tournament of the season with an 11:30 am rematch with Ohio on Sunday 11:30 am.
Game 1
The Panthers lost their season opener 9-8 to Ohio Friday afternoon. EIU took a one run lead in the bottom of the fifth, but the Bobcats added another five in the final two innings to take the win.
Mia Davis singled up the middle in the bottom of the third to score
Morgan LaMore for EIU's first run of the game. Davis singled again in the bottom of the fourth to tally another two RBI.
Taylor Jones would score on a fielder's choice play in the bottom of the fifth to give the Panthers a 5-4 lead.
The Bobcats scored five runs in the top of the sixth and seventh innings to give them a 9-5 advantage. The Panthers fell short in the seventh only scoring three runs and lost 9-8 to the Bobcats.
Davis finished the game 2-for-5 at the plate with three RBI. LaMore was 1-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored.
Jade Montgomery made her first career start and tallied two strikeouts. She collected the loss on the mound falling to 0-1 on the season.
Game 2
The Panthers bounced back in the final game of the day with an 11-5 win over Kennesaw State. EIU scored 10 of their 11 runs over the third and fourth innings leading them to their first win of the year.
Newcomer
Hannah Cravens started the scoring off in the first inning. She led off for EIU and was walked by the Owls starting pitcher, Hailey Andrews. Cravens made it across home plate three batters later as
Mia Davis grounded into a double-play to tally an RBI.
Burton and
Kendyl McKeough led the Panthers to a six run third inning. Burton homered to left field to score
Mady Poulter and herself. Five batters later, McKeough hit one out of the park in right field to record four RBI on the hit.
Breya Cooper singled through the right side in the top of the fourth to score two more runners for EIU. She and
Taylor Jones would cross home plate later in the inning to bring the Panthers lead up to 11-3. The Owls tallied a single run in both the bottom of the fifth and bottom of the sixth, but the Panthers held on to an 11-5 win.
Burton tallied a team-best two hits in her three at bats. McKeough finished with a game-high four RBI, while Cooper and Burton added two. Cravens also tallied one RBI and one run.
Valerie Thompson made the start and recorded the win on the mound for the Panthers. She retired three batters.
Sydney Cammon came in for relief facing six batters over 1.1 innings and recording her first career strikeout.
