Photo Gallery (by Sandy King)
CHARLESTON, Ill. – It took a few extra innings but Eastern Illinois winning streak in Ohio Valley Conference play was snapped in the second game of a Friday doubleheader as the Panthers split with Southern Indiana at Williams Field in Charleston.
EIU won the opener 2-0 to extend its OVC win streak to 11 straight including a 9-0 start to OVC play this year. In the second game, USI scored three in the top of the ninth inning to beat EIU 8-5.
EIU is now 20-14 overall, 9-1 in the OVC. USI is 13-17 overall, 7-6 in the OVC.
EIU 2, USI 0
Eastern Illinois righthander
Olivia Price pitched a gem in the opener as she battled Southern Indiana ace Josie Newman. In the end Price tossed her second shutout of the season improving to 4-0 in OVC play and 8-2 overall as EIU won 2-0.
The Panthers offense was provided in two different innings as they manufactured their first run and had the second off the bat of
Lindy Milkowski with her 11th home run of the season.
EIU went up 1-0 in the third as
Maddie Swart opened the inning with a walk. A sac bunt by
Aryn Henke moved Swart into scoring position.
Jaylen Prichard delivered the RBI with a double to left center.
Milkowski tacked on the insurance run with a solo homer in the sixth. Newman allowed only three hits falling to 10-7 on the season.
Price allowed just two hits during her complete game in the circle. Sammie Kihega had a two-out double in the fifth but that was the farthest any Screaming Eagles player would advance in the opener. Jordan Rager had the other hit.
EIU's three hits came from Prichard, Milkowski and
Aniya Holt with a double in the fourth.
USI 8, EIU 5 (9)
In the night cap, Southern Indiana jumped out to two early leads only to watch Eastern Illinois match them. The final scoring inning could not be countered by the Panthers as USI won 8-5 in nine innings.
Lexi Fair had a big game going 3-for-5 with four RBI for the Eagles. Fair had a two-run triple in the third inning as USI jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the game.
EIU countered in its half of the third as two Panthers reached on walks and were brought home by a three-run home run by
Rachel Kaufman.
USI jumped back in front with two runs in the fifth, a two run double by Hailey Gotshall driving in those runs.
EIU responded again in the sixth as they loaded the bases against the USI bullpen.
Amber Cieplinski drove in the first run with double.
Jaylen Prichard laced an RBI single to tie the game at 5-5 after USI's third pitcher of the game, Josie Newman entered the game. Newman (11-7) would set the next two Panthers down to end the threat and pitched a total of 3.2 innings of one-hit relief for the win.
After a scoreless seventh and eighth inning for both teams, USI broke through a final time in the ninth inning. Fair had a two-run single and came home to score on a single by Rachel Martinez.
Alexa Rehmeier (5-4) worked 5.1 innings of relief but suffered the loss. Prichard and
Aniya Holt each had two hits to lead EIU's offense.
USI had a total of five players with multiple hits with Sammie Kihega, Mackenzie Bedrick, Caroline Stapleton and Allie Goodin all with two hits.
