Eastern Illinois University Athletics

Senior Lexie Griffin homer twice and Eastern Illinois clinched at least a share of its third straight Ohio Valley Conference Softball Championship on Friday night with a 9-4 win over Tennessee State at Williams Field.
 
The Panthers improved to 31-20 overall, 21-3 in the OVC.  EIU needs one win in its doubleheader on Saturday with TSU to clinch the outright title.  TSU fell to 2-36 overall, 2-23 in the OVC.
 
TSU jumped out on top in the first inning with the first two runners reaching via walk and a base hit by Alexis Woods.  Hailey Hunt drove in both Lady Tigers runs with a single up the middle as she drove in all four TSU runs in the game.
 
EIU responded in its half of the first tying the game on a two-run home run by Sophia Olman.  Griffin followed a couple of batters later with a two-run homer, her first long ball of the day.   Chloe Wamboldt drove in the final run of the first with an RBI single to center.
 
The Panthers extended the lead to 9-2 in the fifth inning with Griffin delivering her second two-run home run of the game.  Wamboldt followed a couple of batters later with a two-run double as she was 3-for-4 with three RBI.
 
Griffin was the only other Panther with multiple hits going 2-for-4 with the four RBI.
 
Hunt drove in the final two TSU runs in the sixth as she was 2-for-4.  Woods had three hits while Dani James and Mariyah Brown both had two.  
 
Rylan Gick improved to 12-4 in the circle with the win for EIU.  Chelsei Ervin took the loss for TSU falling to 0-5.