SAN ANTONIO – Eastern Illinois softball opened the 2023 season on Friday afternoon with a 6-0 loss to Grand Canyon in the opening game of the Incarnate Word Classic.
Grand Canyon produced all the offense it would need in the top of the third inning scoring two runs against EIU starter
Olivia Price (0-1). Macee Barnes opened the inning with a solo home run before Kristen Fifield added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly.
EIU would threaten in the bottom of the fourth putting three runners in scoring position.
Amber Cieplinski was out at the plate on fielders choice with bases loaded while
Denaed Santini was left at third and
Kendall Grover at second when the inning ended.
Cieplinski and Santini led the Panthers offensive attack with both collecting two hits. Santini and
Morgan Lewis both had doubles for EIU.
Hailey Hudson (1-0) went the distance for Grand Canyon. GCU tacked on four runs in the top of the seventh on a grand slam by Fifield as she went 2-for-3 with five RBI.
Kaitlyn Riefsteck had 3.1 innings of one run relief for the Panthers.
GAME TWO |
Incarnate Word opened the first inning with a pair of home runs by Victoria Altamirano and Jasmine Sierra to quickly jump out to 3-0 lead during a 12-3 win over Eastern Illinois.
The Cardinals finished the first inning with a 12-0 lead with several timely hits and taking advantage of an EIU error.
Alexa Rehmeier (0-1) took the loss for EIU.
The Panthers opened the game with
Morgan Lewis extending her hitting streak to open the game. Two strikeouts and a caught stealing ending the Panthers first.
UIW would explode in the bottom of the frame to improve to 2-0 on the season. EIU fell to 0-2 after an earlier loss in the day to Grand Canyon.
Briana Gonzalez would lead EIU with two hits driving in one run during the Panthers three-run fifth inning. Freshman
Avary Makarewicz connected for her first collegiate home run, a two-run shot pinch-hitting in the fifth.
Samantha Portillo (2-0) picked up the win for the Cardinals. Sierra paced the UIW offense with three RBI while Aaliyah White had three hits.
EIU returns to action with two games on Saturday facing Green Bay (12:30 pm) and Incarnate Word (5:30 pm)
