MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Eastern Illinois opened the Alabama State Black and Gold Tournament on Friday splitting a pair of games. EIU lost the opener to North Alabama 10-6 before beating host Alabama State 9-4 in the night cap.
North Alabama 10, Eastern Illinois 6
North Alabama scored five runs in the fourth and fifth innings as the Lions beat Eastern Illinois in the first game of the Alabama State Black & Gold Tournament. EIU loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth and seventh during a 10-6 loss.
The Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second with
Amber Cieplinski driving home two runs with a single up the middle.
Jaylen Prichard drove in the third run of the inning with an infield single.
In the fourth North Alabama took advantage of two EIU fielding errors scoring five unearned runs. Georgia Land had a two-run homer in the inning with Harley Stokes adding an RBI double.
Stokes would come up big again for the Lions in the fifth as she connected for a grand slam after UNA loaded the bases on a fielder's choice, walk and single. Stokes was one of three UNA players with multiple hits going 2-for-4. Land had two hits as did Malaeh Hargett for UNA.
EIU would climb back into the game with singles runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh.
Hannah Cravens delivered her sixth home run of the season for the Panthers run in the fifth.
Megan Burton had an RBI single in the sixth and EIU scored an unearned run in the seventh. In both innings EIU would leave the bases loaded.
Cravens was the lone Panther with multiple hits in the game going 3-for-4.
Sophie Golliver improved to 5-0 on the season for UNA as the Lions moved to 15-3 overall.
Alexa Rehmeier took the loss falling to 4-2 on the year despite not allowing an earned run. EIU fell to 6-10 after the loss.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 9, ALABAMA STATE 4
Eastern Illinois jumped out to an early lead as the Panthers split the opening day of the Alabama State Black and Gold Tournament with a 9-4 win over the host Hornets.
EIU scored two runs in the first inning taking advantage of a couple of ASU errors. Cieplinski drove in one of the Panthers two runs in the frame.
The Panthers broke open the game in the top of the fifth.
Andrea Sampson had the big hit of the inning with a two-run home run. Cravens added an RBI single in the inning with
Lindy Milkowski and
Rachel Kaufman also driving in runs.
Kaufman helped her own cause as she pitched 4.2 innings in the circle for EIU to collect the win and improve to 2-3 on the season. At the plate Kaufman was 2-for-4 with a run scored and one RBI.
Alabama State threatened in the bottom of the fifth scoring four runs. The Hornets did their damage with two outs as Aishja Wilcher and Jazmine Dodd both had RBI hits in the inning. Those RBI singles accounted for two of the three hits Alabama State manufactured in the game.
Milkowski led off the seventh with a home run as EIU tacked on two insurance runs in the inning.
Riley Dittmar drove in the other run in the inning.
Milkowski was 2-for-3 at the plate with
Maddie Swart leading EIU with three hits.
EIU improved to 7-10 on the season. Alabama State fell to 7-11 on the season. Bailey Greenlee took the loss for ASU falling to 4-7.
