Eastern Illinois softball took advantage of scoring opportunities in the third and fourth innings while Rylan Gick and Grace Lemke shut down the Saint Louis offense during the Panthers 6-1 midweek win.
 
Each team scored a run in the first inning with starting pitchers for both teams, Gick (EIU) and Isabel Royle (SLU), able to pitch out of potential big innings.
 
Gick struck out the side after the Billikens scored one run on an Abby Mallo RBI double down the left field line and had runners on second and third with no outs.  That was the only hit Gick would allow as she pitched four innings to collect the win and improve to 9-4.  Lemke scattered two hits over the final three innings for the save.
 
Royle (7-8) was able to limit EIU's damage to one run in the first as they placed runners at first and second with one out, scoring an unearned run in the frame.   EIU tacked on two more unearned runs in the third, one of them on a sacrifice fly by Lexie Griffin.
 
Griffin drove in her second run of the game during the Panthers two run fourth inning coupled with an RBI single by Mo Hance.  Hance extended her hitting streak to seven games.
 
Lizzie Stiverson capped her 3-for-5 day at the plate with an RBI single in the seventh for an EIU insurance run.  
 
Alisha Frederick had a hit and walk extending her consecutive games reaching base streak to 19 games as EIU improved to 23-20.
 
SLU fell to 18-23 on the season with Karsen Jany and Kate Proffitt picking up the other two Billikens hits.