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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois softball had a pair of walk-off wins on Wednesday as the Panthers swept a midweek Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader from SIUE at Williams Field.
 
Riley Dittmar had a walk-off single to right center in the bottom of the 11th to win game one 6-5.
 
Rachel Kaufman had a walk-off two-run single to left in the bottom of the 6th to give EIU a run-rule 10-2 win.
 
EIU improved to 23-26 overall, 8-14 in the OVC.  SIUE fell to 15-30 overall, 6-16 in the OVC.
 
EIU 6, SIUE 5 (11 INNIINGS)
It took nearly four hours to complete, but Riley Dittmar dropped in a bases loaded RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift Eastern Illinois to a 6-5 win and snap the Panthers nine-game OVC losing skid.
 
Dittmar's single scored Abi Stahlhut who opened the 11th with a single to third base.  The Panthers then loaded the bases with Lindy Milkowski and Kendall Fields reaching to set the table for Dittmar.
 
Both teams had scoring chances late in the game with SIUE's Bailey Concatto getting thrown out at the plate in the top of the seventh.  SIUE had three runners in scoring position from the seventh through 11th innings.  EIU would also have three runners in scoring position between the seventh and tenth innings before breaking through in the 11th.
 
Olivia Price was excellent in relief for EIU scattering two hits in 8.1 innings of shutout relief to get the win and improve to 5-4.  Mia Haynes was the hard luck loser in the circle for SIUE pitching six innings allowing just the one run in the 11th falling to 6-15.
 
SIUE jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the third.  Jenna Herron had the big hit in the inning with a based loaded double down the left field line.  After an EIU error kept the inning alive allowing two runs to score, Katie Smith closed the Cougars scoring with an RBI triple.  Herron had two of SIUE's four hits in the game as the Cougars took advantage of nine walks and two EIU errors.
 
Megan Burton cut into the SIUE lead in the fourth with a two-run homer, her ninth of the season.  Macey McElravy would add a pinch hit RBI single later in the inning to make it 5-3.
 
EIU would tie the game at 5-5 in the fifth on a two-run double by Milkowski. 
 
Jaylen Prichard led EIU going 3-for-5 at the plate while Burton, Hannah Cravens and Maddie Swart each added two hits. 
 
EIU 10, SIUE 2 (6 INNINGS)
Rachel Kaufman had what proved to be the game winning hit and picked up the win in relief in the circle as EIU won 10-2 in six innings.
 
Leading 8-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth, EIU loaded the bases with one out.  Kaufman would single to left scoring Jaylen Prichard and Hannah Cravens to clinch the game.
 
In the circle Kaufman was the third pitcher of the day for the Panthers pitching four innings in relief allowing just two hits while striking out three Cougars.
 
EIU opened the scoring in the first with Cravens connecting for an RBI double to put the Panthers up 1-0.  The lead was short lived for EIU as Grace Lueke hit her 11th home run of the season, a two-run shot in the top of the second to give SIUE a 2-1 lead.
 
The Panthers responded in the bottom of the second with three runs.  Riley Dittmar had an RBI double with Morgan Lewis adding an RBI single.  Lewis was 4-for-4 in the game, one of four Panthers with multiple hits.  Prichard drove in the final run with a sacrifice fly.
 
EIU extended its lead to 8-2 in the fourth scoring four runs while taking advantage of an SIUE error.  Lindy Milkowski drove in two of the four runs with a double to right center, her second double of the game.
 
Kaufman and Dittmar both added two hits for EIU.   Kaufman improved to 4-8 on the year in the circle.
 
Kelsey Ray suffered the loss for SIUE falling to 1-3.  The Cougars had just four hits in the second game with extra base hits by Lueke (home run) and Ashlyn Betz (double).