YOUNGSVILLE, La. –
Rachel Kaufman and
Sophie Cerveny combined to drive in all five runs on Sunday as Eastern Illinois softball went 5-0 during the opening weekend of the season with a 5-4 win over Providence College.
Kaufman delivered the first run of the game for EIU with an RBI double to score
Abbey Crain in the bottom of the first.
Providence tied the game in the third on an RBI single by Rachael Petrarca.
Kaufman put the Panthers ahead for good in the bottom of the frame with a two-run homer. Cerveny pushed the EIU lead to 5-1 three batters later with a two-run double scoring
Briana Gonzalez and
Marama Makea.
The offense proved to be enough for EIU as pitchers
Olivia Price (2-0) and
McKenzie Oslanzi (Save 1) combined to allow seven hits and one earned run in the win.
The Friars tacked on one run each in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings with all of them unearned as EIU had five fielding errors on the day. Emma Douma led Providence going 2-for-4 at the plate. Briana De La Fuente (0-1) suffered the loss in the circle as Providence is 1-4 on the year.
Kaufman was 3-for-3 at the plate while Makea going 2-for-3.
