Eastern Illinois softball took advantage of two walks in the first inning and two home runs in the third as the Panthers beat Southern Indiana, 5-2, in Saturday's series opening game at Williams Field.
 
Abbey Crain and Alisha Frederick both drew first inning walks against USI starter Josie Newman (6-12) with Karson Davey driving in the first run of the game with a single to shallow right to score Crain.  Frederick would come in to score later in the inning on a wild pitch as Newman allowed just four EIU hits in the contest striking out nine.
 
Three of those four hits came in the three-run third inning.  Frederick opened the inning with a solo home run to right field.  Davey followed with a single and came home to score on a two-run homer by Abbi Hatton.   Davey was the lone EIU player with multiple hits going 2-for-3 in the game.
 
USI had scoring chances in the third and fourth innings but EIU starter McKenzie Oslanzi (11-10) was able to work out of those two jams without allowing a run.   The Screaming Eagles broke through against Oslanzi in the fifth with two walks and single loading the bases with two outs.  Jordan Mackey had the big hit for USI with a two-run single up the middle.  Mackey was 2-for-4 in the game, one of two USI players with two hits, Whitley Hunter the other.
 
Karlie McKenzie entered in relief and allowed one hit over 2.1 innings of work to pick up her league leading fourth save of the year.  McKenzie struck out three in relief including the final two USI batters.
 
EIU remained in first place in the OVC standings improving to 20-17 overall, 12-3 in the OVC.  USI fell to 10-19 overall, 7-7 in the OVC.