INDIANAPOLIS – One game was decided in five innings, the other went to extra innings. In the end, Eastern Illinois came out on top in both contests as the Panthers swept a midweek softball doubleheader at IUPUI to extend their win streak to six games.
EIU won the opener 8-0 in five innings before scoring two runs in the ninth inning to win the second game 5-3.
The Panthers improved to 13-12 on the season with two wins while IUPUI dropped to 2-22 on the season.
EIU 8, IUPUI 0
Olivia Price was sharp in the circle in the opener allowing just two IUPUI hits as the Panthers jumped out early during a 8-0 win in five innings. Price picked up the complete game victory improving to 3-3 on the season as she had five strikeouts with just one walk.
The Panthers provided Price with all the offense she would need scoring four runs in the top of the first.
Riley Dittmar drove in the first run with a sacrfice fly after EIU loaded the bases against Jags starters Carly Metcalf (1-8).
Maddie Swart followed with the big shot of the inning clearing the bases with a three run home run.
EIU added two more runs in the top of the third with Dittmar and
Kendall Fields both delivering RBI singles.
The Panthers tacked on unearned runs in the fourth and fifth to pick up the run rule victory after five innings.
Dittmar and Hannay Cravens both had two hits for EIU in the opener.
EIU 5, IUPUI 3
In the second game EIU scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning to pick up the extra inning win and sweep the doubleheader.
Amber Cieplinski drove in the game winning run with a sacrfice fly as pinch runner
Olivia Price scored from third.
Megan Burton gave the Panthers an insurance run two batters later with a solo home run as she was 4-for-4 in the game.
IUPUI had tied the game at 3-3 with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning taking advantage of an EIU error that extended the inning. The final two runs of the inning for IUPUI came on fly balls by Ashley Shelton and Jaylin Calvert.
Alexa Rehmeier pitched the first four innings of the game and then returned in the sixth to close out the game. She improvd to 5-2 on the season picking up 12 strikeouts in eight innings of work in the circle. Isabelle Waggner went the distance for IUPUI falling to 0-3.
The Panthers scored the first run of the game in the top of the second on a Burton RBI single to left.
EIU added two more runs in the fifth taking advantage of an IUPUI error to score one run before the second run came courtesy of
Hannah Cravens ninth home run of the season.
