COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Eastern Illinois improved to 9-0 in Ohio Valley Conference road games this season as the Panthers took a Saturday doubleheader at Tennessee Tech to sweep the weekend series over the Golden Eagles.
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EIU won the opener 3-2 and closed out the series with a 7-2 win in the nightcap.
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EIU improved to 24-15 overall, 12-2 in the OVC. TTU fell to 3-37 overall, 0-15 in the OVC.Â
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EIU 3, TTU 2
Rachel Kaufman was involved in all facets of the 3-2 win in the opener both in the circle and at the plate.
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Kaufman (6-4) tossed a complete game in the circle allowing five hits and just one earned run helping EIU clinch the weekend series.
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She was also a factor at the plate going 2-for-2 with two additonal walks drawn. One of her hits was a two-run home run in the Panthers three run third that gave them a 3-1 lead at the time.
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Riley Dittmar, who was 3-for-4, drove in the final run of the inning for the Panthers.
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TTU scored both of its runs in the game on sacrifice flies.  Ella Bishop drove in a run in the second. Carmen Betts drove in a run in the third. The Golden Eagles had five hits in the game.
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Jaylen Prichard was the third Panther with multiple hits with two.  Gracelyn Woollen (0-10) suffered the loss in the circle for TTU.
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EIU 7, TTU 2
Tennessee Tech scored two runs in the first inning of the final game of the series only to see EIU rally to score in five of the final six innings to sweep the weekend OVC series with a 7-2 win.
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Alexa Rehmeier (6-4) went long enough in the circle to collect the win for EIU with
Olivia Price picking up the save with one hit, shutout relief.  Callie Piper (2-15) took the loss for TTU.
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The Golden Eagles runs in the first came off an RBI single by Carmen Betts followed by a sacrifice fly by Nicolle Nystad. TTU was held to just four hits in the game.
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EIU tied the score in the second with a two-run double by
Jaylen Prichard, one five doubles the Panthers would pound out in the second game.Â
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EIU took the lead in the third as
Kendall Grover scored on a wild pitch. The Panthers freshman was the lone EIU player with multiple hits in the game adding a solo home run in the seventh as she went 2-for-3.
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Lindy Milkowski and
Aniya Holt followed with RBI doubles in the fifth and sixth to give the Panthers some breathing room.Â
Morgan Lewis scored the final run of the game on a wild pitch.Â