Eastern Illinois and Tennessee State both took advantage of errors by the opposition to scoring their early runs but it was the games lone earned run that proved to be the difference as EIU clinched the weekend series with a 4-3 Sunday win at Williams Field.
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Rachel Kaufman opened the bottom of the sixth inning for EIU with the game tied 3-3. Kaufman, who won game two yesterday with a walk-off home run, led off the inning with a double to center.Â
Emily Konkel entered as a pinch runner moving to third on an infield single by
McKenzie Oslanzi.Â
Aryn Henke grounded out to shortstop on the next play scoring Konkel from third for what proved to be the deciding run.
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Henke was 1-for-3 in the game but drove in three of the Panthers four runs in the contest. EIU took advantage of a TSU error in the bottom of the first to score three unearned runs. Oslanzi doubled to left center to score the first run of the game with a Henke following with a two-run single to left center.
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Oslanzi was 2-for-3 at the plate, the lone Panther with multiple hits in the game as EIU finished with just seven hits against Tigers starter Caitlyn Manus (9-8). Manus had four strike outs allowing just the one earned run taking the loss.
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Oslanzi entered in relief in the sixth inning for EIU with the game tied at 3-3. She allowed one hit in two shutout innings picking up the win to improve to 16-3 on the season.
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Olivia Price started for EIU and allowed three TSU runs in the top of the fifth with all three unearned. Two runs scored on a fielding error before Nahtali Simpson grounded out to drive in the tying run.Â
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Price allowed just three hits with five strike outs as EIU's pitchers scattered four hits in the win.
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EIU improved to 25-12 overall, 11-4 in the OVC. Tennessee State exited the weekend at 17-18 overall, 8-7 in the OVC.