THURSDAY'S SCORES
@Kennesaw State 3,
Eastern Illinois 1
Eastern Illinois 9, @Kennesaw State 6
KENNESAW STATE 3, EASTERN ILLINOIS 1; EASTERN ILLINOIS 9, KENNESAW STATE 6
KENNESAW, Ga. - The Eastern Illinois softball team snapped a four-game losing streak rallying after a 3-1 loss to Kennesaw State in game one of Thursday's doubleheader to take game two 9-6.
EIU now enters their last tournament of the 2017 season at 12-12 on the year while KSU goes to 21-6 suffering only their second loss of the season to an OVC opponent.
Junior transfer Kiley Pelker finished the day 4-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs and a double while Amber Toenyes recorded a home run in each game.
Thursday's doubleheader opened with a pitching duel between Michelle Rogers and KSU's Logan Viers. Both pitchers combined for nine strikeouts through the first three innings holding the opposing batters to a combined three hits.
It wasn't until the bottom of the fourth inning that Kennesaw State broke through. After the first two batters were walked, the Owls had runners on first and second with one out as Beth McCulley stepped up to the plate. McCulley hit a double to left center field coming around to score herself off a throwing error from EIU's shortstop to give KSU a 3-0 lead.
The Panthers attempted to make a comeback getting on the board in the top of the seventh inning with a lead-off solo home run from Toenyes. EIU was able to get runners on with back-to-back singles from Jennifer Ames and Pelker, but the Panthers couldn't capitalize dropping the opening game 3-1.
Ames led the Panthers going 2-for-3 at the plate as EIU logged only five hits in the game. With the loss Rogers falls to 7-5 going all six innings and finishing with six strikeouts. Views earned six strikeouts as well in her 5.2 innings on the mound allowing only two hits.
EIU answered back in game two of the doubleheader taking the lead in the top of the second inning. After Mady Poulter was hit by a pitch three straight hits from Ames, Andrea Roberts, and Pelker brought two runs around to score. An RBI groundout from Kayla Bear gave the Panthers a 3-0 lead at the end of the second inning.
KSU answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to an RBI double from McCulley to make it 3-1.
The Panthers extended their lead in the fifth inning with a lead-off double from Pelker. After reaching first safely off an error, Bear along with Pelker would eventually come around to score thanks to another fielding error that allowed Maria DeVito to reach first base.
Toenyes capped the inning's scoring smashing a two-run home run over the right center field wall on the next at-bat. The home run marks Toenyes' fifth of the season as she put the Panthers ahead 7-1.
EIU added two more runs in the following inning after putting runners on second and third base following back-to-back KSU errors. Pelker and Bear earned their second RBIs of the game with two straight singles to give the Panthers a 9-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Owls were able to hold off the run-rule loss thanks to an RBI double from Courtney Sutter to cut into EIU's lead 9-2. KSU added three more runs in the inning loading the bases with one out. After walking in a run, a groundout from KSU's Andrea Summey allowed both Katie Cannington and Sutter to come around and score to make it 9-4.
Kennesaw State nearly mounted the comeback loading the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning off the first three batters. Sutter stepped up to bat earning her second RBI of the game with a single to right field to make it 9-5. KSU managed to get one more run thanks to an RBI single from Noelle Winkles before Rogers entered the game forcing a fly out and fanning the final batter to earn the save and give EIU the 9-6 win.
Pelker finished the game 3-for-4 from the plate with two RBIs and a double. Jessica Wireman earned the win on the mound improving to 4-7 after pitching six innings and allowing three earned runs.
EIU now heads to Macon, Ga. to open the Mercer Bears Classic Friday morning against Eastern Michigan at 9 a.m.