NASHVILLE - Eastern Illinois softball remained unbeaten in Ohio Valley Conference play as the Panthers swept a Saturday doubleheader at Tennessee State. EIU won the opener 5-3 before taking game two by a 4-1 score.
EIU improved to 18-13 overall, 7-0 in the OVC. TSU dropped to 14-17-1 overall, 5-4 in the OVC.
EIU 5, TSU 3
In the opener EIU scored three runs in the final two innings to pull ahead in a 2-2 game.
Jaylen Prichard had a two-run triple in the seventh for the big hit as EIU won 5-3.
The two teams were tied at 2-2 heading into the sixth inning as EIU's
Olivia Price (7-3) and TSU's Holly Ayala (4-6) battled in the circle.
In the sixth
Kendall Grover drove home the go ahead run with a sacrifice fly that scored pinch runner
Tieghan Morio. Morio was in as a pinch runner for
Lindy Milkowski who had a one-out double to put the go ahead run in scoring position.
EIU added two additional runs in the seventh with Prichard's two-run triple. TSU cut into that margin in their half of the seventh with a Peyton Fointno ground out that scored Anayah Baker-Rowell who tripled earlier in the inning.
The Panthers took the lead early in the game with two runs in the second inning.
Briana Gonzalez had an RBI triple and later came home to score on a ground out by
Marama Makea.
TSU tied the game in the third with a two-run double by Ryla Traylor. Traylor had two hits for TSU with Nahtali Simpson leading the Tigers with three hits.
EIU had just five hits in the game with extra base hits by Milkowski, Gonzalez and Prichard.
EIU 4, TSU 1
In the second game
Amber Cieplinski had a three-run home run to lift EIU to the 4-1 win.
Lindy Milkowski tacked on a late solo home run, her 10th of the year as she moved into the EIU career top ten for home runs.
Cieplinski homered in the second scoring
Riley Dittmar and
Aryn Henke. Dittmar reached on a single to center, Henke on a fielder's choice. Cieplinski was 2-for-3 in the game, the only EIU player with multiple hits in the night cap.
Onnika Spencer would hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second to get the Tigers on the board. It would be the only run EIU starter
Rachel Kaufman (5-4) would allow as she scattered four hits during the complete game win.
Caitlyn Manus (10-11) took the loss in a complete game effort for the Tigers.
Milkowski would add the final run of the game for EIU with a solo home run in the third.
