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Game 1 Box  |  Game 2 Box

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Eastern Illinois softball swept the final day at the USF Series in Florida yesterday. The Panthers took a 9-6 win over Buffalo to start the day and closed with a 4-3 win over Seton Hall. EIU is now 9-19 on the season as the prep for the start of conference play.

The Panthers will host their home opener Friday Mar. 22 with a conference double-header vs. Murray State starting at 4 pm at Williams Field.

Game 1
EIU beat Buffalo 9-6 Friday morning led by Taylor Jones who was 2-of-3 at the plate with three runs scored. Haley Mitchell also finished 2-of-3 at the plate with one run and one RBI, while Mia Davis tallied a team best 3 RBI.

The Panthers came into the game swinging and ready to score putting up six runs in the first two innings. Davis started things out for EIU with a double to left center to score Jones. Davis went on to score on a single from Mitchell. Megan Burton got her first hit of the day with a single to left field to tally an RBI as Mitchell scored. Kendyl McKeough hit a sac fly to center to score Breya Cooper to end the first inning with a 4-0 lead.

Buffalo scored three runs in the fourth inning to narrow the Panthers lead to three, but they would quickly add two more in the bottom of the fourth as Hannah Cravens scored on an error by the second baseman and as Jones stole home later in the inning.

Buffalo had the tying run up to bat in the top of the seventh inning as Sydney Cammon entered to pitch. Cammon retired the battter to end the game and record her first save of the year.

McKenna Coffman got the start and win on the mound improving to 2-6 overall. 

Game 2
EIU stole a 4-3 win over Seton Hall in the sixth inning to record their second straight win and to complete the sweep of the day. Jade Montgomery led the Panthers on the mound with six strikeouts improving to 3-10.

Seton Hall jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning holding EIU scoreless until the sixth.

McKeough and Morgan LaMore hit back-to-back sac bunts for EIU to tie the game 2-2. Mady Poulter reached on an error by the shortstop and tallied an RBI as Sydney Cammon scored to give EIU a 3-2 lead. LaMore would score the game winning run on a single by Hannah Cravens.

Pandolfo homered to center field in the bottom of the sixth for SHU, but they fell short as the Panthers won 4-3.

EIU had seven hits in the game led by LaMore and Cooper who each had two. LaMore finished 2-of-2 with one run and one RBI, while Cooper was 2-of-4 at the plate.