Eastern Illinois softball faced a pair of teams from the Mountain West Conference on Saturday for the second day of the ASU/GCU Tournament. EIU lost in the early afternoon 9-0 to UNLV before an early evening 8-0 loss to No. 22 Grand Canyon. EIU is now 5-15.
UNLV 9, EIU 0 (6)
UNLV scored the runs it would need in the third inning before tacking on insurance runs in the fifth and sixth during a 9-0 win over Eastern Illinois.
Natalie Turner started the scoring in the third with a solo home run followed by a Keyannah Chavez two run double to close the Rebels scoring in the inning against EIU starter
Karlie McKenzie (0-7).
Sophia Olman picked up the first hit of the game for the Panthers in the third inning as EIU finished the game with five hits against UNLV stater Emma Wardlaw (2-2).
In the fourth
Lexie Griffin led off with a single with pinch runner
Emily Konkel advancing to second. The Panthers would get runners in scoring position in the fifth as well with hits by
Mo Hance and
Marybeth Dyson but could not push across a run.
Abbi Hatton had the final EIU hit of the day.
Chavez and Bri Williams each had two hits to lead UNLV's offense. Williams hit a two-run homer in the fifth. The Rebels scored three unearned runs in the sixth.
#22 GRAND CANYON 8, EIU 0 (5)
Eastern Illinois faced its third ranked team in three days as the Panthers closed Saturday play with a 8-0 loss at No. 22 Grand Canyon (20-0).
GCU scored an unearned run to begin the scoring in the first before adding a sacrifice fly in the second against EIU starter
Grace Lemke (1-2). Sydney McCray followed later in the inning with a two-run homer to lift the Lopes to a 4-0 lead.
EIU threatened in the fourth as
Lexie Griffin reached on an error with one out. The Panthers loaded the bases as
Abbi Hatton and
Mo Hance each collected hits. EIU was unable to deliver with two outs as Abi Jones entered in relief to get the next two outs. Jones closed the game to pick up the win and improve to 2-0.
Lizzie Stiverson added the third hit of the game for EIU's offense.
Haley Wilkinson and Addison Shifflett each had two hits to lead Grand Canyon.
