Photo Gallery (by
Sandy King)
PEORIA, Ill. – Eastern Illinois picked up key hits in the third and sixth innings as the No. 1 seeded Panthers beat No. 4 seed Southern Indiana, 4-1, in their opening game of the 2025 OVC Tournament at Louisville Slugger Park.
USI got on the board first with an unearned run in the third inning as Whitley Hunter drove in Kennedy Nalley. It was one of five hits EIU pitchers
McKenzie Oslanzi and
Karlie McKenzie allowed in the win.
Oslanzi improved to 20-12 on the season pitching four innings allowing an unearned run. McKenzie closed out the final three innings for her sixth save of the year.
In the third EIU broke through against USI starter Kylie Witthaus (6-8) with a two-run single by
Alisha Frederick scoring
Sophie Cerveny and
Kendall Grover.
EIU tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth with a two-run single by
Sophia Olman.
Cerveny and
Abbey Crain each had two hits for EIU as the Panthers improved to 32-19 on the season.
Nalley and Sydney Long each had two hits for USI as the Screaming Eagles fell to 17-24.
