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BRACKET | CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
Game 12 - #2 Eastern Illinois 2, #5 SIUE 0
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#2 EASTERN ILLINOIS 2, #5 SIUE 0
OXFORD, Ala. - EEastern Illinois is going to an NCAA Softball Tournament for the first time in Division I program history after a 2-0 win over SIUE on Saturday at the Ohio Valley Conference Championship.
Tournament MVP Olivia Price pitched her third complete game of the tournament with a two-hit shutout performance in the final game which included six strike outs and no walks.
EIU scored in the bottom of the third and bottom of the fourth to provide Price with the offense she needed in the circle.
In the third Rachel Kaufman had a two-out single to start the Panthers rally. Lindy Milkowski followed with a walk before Amber Cieplinski drove in what proved to be the game winning run with a single off the fence to left center.
In the fourth, EIU again manufactured a run with Marama Makea leading off with a single and moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Briana Gonzalez. Makea moved to third on an infield hit by Aryn Henke. She would score on a sacrifice fly by Jaylen Prichard.
EIU improved to 34-19 overall and will find out its NCAA Tournament fate on Sunday evening with the NCAA Selection Show on ESPN2.
SIUE ends the season at 30-26. Sydney Baalman (17-9) suffered the loss with a complete game for the Cougars. Micah Arps and Sherri Mason has the SIUE hits.
Price improved to 16-4 on the year. Kaufman, Cieplinski, Makea and Henke had hits for EIU.
EIU had four players named to the All-Tournament team with MVP Price, Cieplinski, Aniya Holt and Kendall Grover.
2023 OVC Softball All-Tournament Team
Aniya Holt, Eastern Illinois
Kendall Grover, Eastern Illinois
Amber Cieplinski, Eastern Illinois
Olivia Price, Eastern Illinois
Lexi King, SIUE
Sydney Baalman, SIUE
Paige Rocha, SIUE
Katie Dreiling, UT Martin
Avry Blume, UT Martin
Kat Sackett, Southeast Missouri
Anayah Baker, Tennessee State
Allie Goodin, Southern Indiana
MVP: Olivia Price, Eastern Illinois