Photo Gallery (by Sandy King)
Eastern Illinois softball clinched another weekend series win as the Panthers won both games of Saturday's Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader against Tennessee Tech at Williams Field.
EIU won the opener 9-5 with a 2-1 decision in the second game as the Panthers extended their current win streak to nine games improving to 32-12 overall, 16-4 in the OVC.
TTU fell to 18-20 overall, 8-12 in the OVC.
EIU 9, TTU 5
In what started as a tightly contested game, Eastern Illinois had a break through inning scoring seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to post a 9-5 game one win.
With the game tied at 2-2, EIU started their rally with one out in the inning against TTU starter Lennon Spicer (4-9). The Panthers would get big hits by
Rachel Kaufman,
Briana Gonzalez and
Kendall Grover all driving in two runs in the inning as the Panthers exited the inning with a 9-2 cushion.
TTU scored three runs over the final two innings with
McKenzie Oslanzi tossing her 11th complete game this season to improve to 19-3 on the season.
TTU looked destined to open the game with a big inning as they took a 1-0 lead and had bases loaded with no outs in the first. Sofia Carroll hit a soft liner towards second base which
Marama Makea fielded in the air. Her momentum carried Makea to second base to tag the bag for the second out and then she threw to first to complete the triple play.
EIU countered in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run by
Jadin Justman. Justman had two hits in the game finishing as one of four Panthers with two RBI in the game.
Grover led EIU at the plate with a 4-for-4 day including two runs scored and two RBI.
Mac Fitzgerald and Ella Bishop each had three hits for TTU.
EIU 2, TTU 1
Olivia Price was masterful in the circle for the second straight game as the reigning OVC Pitcher of the Year scattered three hits during the Panthers 2-1 win.
Price did not allow a hit until the fifth inning when Sofia Carroll broke up the no-hitter with a single up the middle.
TTU's other two hits came in the sixth inning with EIU leading 2-0. Mac Fitzgerald singled and came around to score on a double by Sydney Kirby. Price pitched out of the inning and closed the seventh with a 1-2-3 frame to improve to 8-7 this season.
EIU scored its first run in the fourth inning as
Marama Makea beat out an infield single to second base that allowed
Aryn Henke to score the first run of the game.
In the fifth EIU tacked on a much needed insurance run as
Kendall Grover scored on a sacrifice fly by
McKenzie Oslanzi.
TTU starter Payton Wagner (7-4) scattered seven EIU singles taking the loss with the Panthers unearned run in the fifth.
