Photo Gallery (by Sandy King)

Eastern Illinois played its third Big Ten team of the season and on Wednesday night the Panthers came away with a win beating Illinois 4-3 in nine innings.

EIU improved to 28-19 overall beating the Illini for the first time since May 2, 2017.  EIU had lost an extra inning game at home earlier this season to Washington and lost on the road at Purdue.

Illinois falls to 21-26.

Both teams starting pitchers held the opponent in check until the sixth inning.  In the sixth Abbey Crain singled and Kendall Grover walked, placing runners on with one out.  Alisha Frederick hammered a double to straight away center scoring both Crain and Grover.

Illinois answered in the bottom of the inning with Delaney Mosely connecting for a two-run double to left center.   Mosley ended the game 3-for-3 for the Illini, the only Illinois player with multiple hits.

Karlie McKenzie worked three innings in relief picking up the win to improve to 9-3.  McKenzie Oslanzi, who started the game in the circle, came back to close the ninth for her third save of the year allowing one unearned run in six total innings.

Danika Frazier (0-4) suffered the loss allowing two unearned runs in the top of the ninth as EIU took advantage of a bases loaded error in the top of the inning.

Frederick put the ball in play that resulted in the Illinois error scoring Abbi Hatton and Marybeth Dyson in the top of the ninth.

Eileen Donahue had a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth accounting for the final run for Illinois.

Crain was the lone Panther with multiple hits with two.