Photo Gallery (by Sandy King)
CHARLESTON, Ill. – Weather washed out Eastern Illinois first two opportunities this week to play its home opener at Williams Field. Then weather added 90 minutes worth of delays in the second game of Sunday's Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader.
After a six and half hour day of softball, Eastern Illinois had a couple of big hits that carried the Panthers to a doubleheader sweep over SIUE. EIU won the opener 1-0 before a 5-2 win in the night cap.
EIU 1, SIUE 0
Rachel Kaufman was brilliant in the circle in the opener allowing just three hits with four strikeouts as she picked up the complete game win improving to 4-3 on the season as EIU won 1-0.
While Kaufman was masterful in the circle, it was a rally in the bottom of the seventh that allowed EIU to post the walk-off win.
Kaufman helped herself going 3-for-3 at the plate. She led off the seventh with a single to center.
Marama Makea would enter to pinch run and eventually game around to score.
Riley Dittmar had a single on a bunt attempt as she beat out the throw at first base.
Lindy Milkowski then had a pinch hit single down that left field line for the game winner.
EIU's other good scoring opportunity was in the first as
Kendall Grover and Kaufman both had singles and were at second and third with two outs following a wild pitch. Kelsey Ray (2-7) pitched out of that jam for the Cougars and went the distance with four strikeouts.
SIUE had a good scoring chance in the second with runners at second and third. EIU would get a fielders choice out at the plate to take away that scoring opportunity. SIUE had three hits in the game, Piper Montgomery had one of them with a double.
EIU 5, SIUE 2
The second game saw two weather delays lasting a total of 90 minutes. At the end of the night, EIU scored four in the bottom of the fifth to pick up the win as they swept the twin bill with a 5-2 win.
The two teams were tied at 1-1 heading into the fourth when the first weather delay occurred lasting 55 minutes. Madisyn Webster singled and came around to score on an RBI by Emma Nueman in the top of the third. EIU answered in their half with an RBI triple by
Kendall Grover that scored
Aryn Henke.
When the teams returned SIUE had two outs and placed a runner on third before the second delay started. When the teams returned again, Webster who reached on an error, scored on an RBI single up the middle by Lexi King. King was 2-for-4 in the game, the only SIUE player with multiple hits.
Olivia Price came back out to the circle following each delay after starting the game and picked up the complete game win improving to 6-2.
The Panthers provided Price some offense in the bottom of the fifth finally breaking through against SIUE starter Sydney Baalman (5-6).
Riley Dittmar began the rally with a walk in her second pinch-hitting role of the day. She came around to score the tying run on a single up the middle by
Aryn Henke.
Rachel Kaufman delivered another big hit in the inning with her second double of the game, this one scoring two runs to put EIU up 4-2. Kaufman would come around to score an unearned run later in the inning against the SIUE bullpen.
Kaufman was the lone EIU player with multiple hits in the game going 2-for-3.
EIU improved to 16-12 on the season, 5-0 in the OVC. SIUE fell to 10-18 overall, 0-7 in the OVC.
