Photo Gallery (by
Sandy King)
CHARLESTON, Ill. – A day after having their series opener rained out, Eastern Illinois and UT Martin split a Monday Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader at Williams Field.
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EIU had a come-from-behind win in the opener, 9-7, before UT Martin received a standout performance in the circle for a 1-0 win the second game.
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In the opener EIU trailed most of the contest as UT Martin built a 4-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth. Kaci Fuller, who was 3-for-5 in the game, came around to score two of her three runs early in the game.
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EIU would tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth as
Katie Nicholson reached on an RBI infield single and
Amber Cieplinski drove home two with a single to right.
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UT Martin bounced right back in the top of the sixth to regain the lead at 6-4 with Kaitlyn Kelley driving home two with a single up the middle.
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In the bottom of the sixth, EIU loaded the bases with
Haley Mitchell driving in a run with a single up the middle.Â
Hannah Cravens then cleared the based with a grand slam that hit the left field foul pole. Â
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UT Martin added one run in the seventh before
Jade Montgomery was able to get two infield pop ups with the tying run at second base for her second save of the year. Â
Olivia Price moved to 9-3 on the year with the win. Seeley Layne fell to 1-3 with the loss in relief.
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In the second game Alexis Groet (10-3) was solid in the circle for the Skyhawks scattering five hits with eight strikeouts during the 1-0 win.
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The one run in the game came in the second inning as Paige Clark reached on an infield error. She would come around to score on a double by Maddie Long in what proved to be the only run Montgomery allowed for EIU in the start.
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Shyanne Sheffield had two hits for UTM in the second game as Montgomery (6-9) allowed only six hits with seven strikeouts.
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Katie Nicholson had two of the Panthers five hits in the second game.
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Megan Burton,
Morgan Lewis and
Mia Davis all had three hits in the opener for EIU.
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Fuller and Kallie Pickins had three hits in the opener for UTM with Fuller adding four stole bases in the game.
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EIU is now 19-12 overall, 11-7 in the OVC. UTM is 20-11 overall, 9-8 in the OVC.