Game 1 Box |Â
Game 2 Box
CLEARWATER, Fla. -
Hannah Cravens led Eastern Illinois softball at the plate Saturday batting .800 with four hits and one RBI. The Panthers split day one at the USF Series with a 5-2 loss to Villanova and a 5-2 win over Central Connecticut State. EIU improved to 5-15 on the year.
The Panthers will be back in action with another pair of morning games tomorrow. First on the schedule is USC Upstate at 8 am and Colgate at 10:15 am.
Game 1
EIU lost the first game of the day in a rematch vs. Villanova from earlier in the season. The Wildcats beat the Panthers 5-2.
Villanova put up four runs in the bottom of the third inning highlighted by back-to-back one-run hits to the outfield.
EIU responded with both their runs in the top of the fourth inning.
Megan Burton opened the inning with a double to left field and advanced to third base on a dropped ball by Villanova's catcher.
Mia Davis singled to center field two batters later to score Burton. Davis scored on the next at bat as
Kendyl McKeough doubled down the left field line. The Wildcats would add another run in the bottom of the fifth inning and hold on to a 5-2 win.
Burton led the Panthers to a double-play in the second inning on a grounder up the middle. She tagged the runner out and threw to first to complete the play, while
Morgan LaMore ended the Wildcats fourth inning throwing out Villanova's base runner at second.
McKenna Coffman made the start on the mound falling to 1-4.
Sydney Cammon came in to pitch in the third inning to see 3.1 innings of action.
Game 2
Cravens and Davis led EIU at the plate in their 5-2 win over Central Connecticut State in the day's finale. Cravens finished 3-of-3, while Davis was 3-of-4 including a home run, three runs scored, and two RBI.
Breya Cooper started things out for the Panthers in the top of the first inning with a double to left center to score Davis for the first run of the game. CCSU took a one run lead after scoring one run in the bottom of the first and third.
Davis and Cooper would hit back-to-back singles to right field in the fifth inning. Davis eventually scored on a single from Cravens to tie the game 2-2. The Panthers' offensive momentum carried into the sixth inning with a double from
Ashley Bartlett. Bartlett scored two batters later as Davis hit a two-run homer to left center putting EIU up 4-2.
Taylor Jones scored EIU's fifth run of the game on a fielder's choice play in the top of the seventh.
Cooper finished 2-of-4 at the plate, while Burton stole two bases for the Panthers.
Jade Montgomery made the start on the mound.
Valerie Thompson came in for relief at the bottom of the fourth inning earning the win improving to 3-2 on the year. Both pitchers combined for six strikeouts.
