Ohio Valley Conference

GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Morehead State Eagles got a boost from freshman Maddy Christopher, who totaled three hits , but it was not enough as the team fell to Holy Cross 5-2 in the opening game of the Furman Classic on Friday. It was the Crusaders' first game of the season.

Freshman Riley Burney (0-6) started and took the loss in the circle for Morehead State (1-10). Freshman Emma Solis was a bright spot out of the bullpen, going 1.2 shutout innings while allowing one hit, walking none and striking out two.

Christopher's three-hit day led the Eagles offensively. Freshman Victoria Spencer put together a standout performance as well, going 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and two RBI. Freshman Kendra Lewis also helped out for Morehead State, putting together one hit in two trips to the plate while adding a double and two walks.

Sophomore infielder Sela Pickford went 0-for-4 at the plate, ending her team season-best streak of reaching base safely at 11 games.

The Eagles were trailing 2-0 in the third inning when they first put runs on the board. Morehead State scored twice on a two-run double off the bat of Spencer. Holy Cross then scored three times over the remaining four innings to break the tie and grab the 5-2 win.

Morehead State got contributions from every part of their lineup, as all nine starters reached base safely, but the Eagles fell to the Northern Iowa Panthers 11-5 Friday.

The Eagles battled back from a 9-0 deficit by plating four runs in the bottom of the fifth on four hits, including the team's first home run of the season, which came off the bat of Nyla Doiron.

Freshman Emma Solis (1-3) got the ball to start for Morehead State (1-11) and took the loss. Freshman Sela Pickford was a bright spot for the Eagles, starting the ballgame and throwing three innings, giving up three runs, zero earned, on four hits, with no walks and one strikeout. Junior Taikibrea Campbell also pitched two innings.

Trailing 9-0, the Eagles first put runs on the board in the fifth inning. Morehead State's offense started clicking and put up four runs, including a one-run flyout off the bat of freshman Darlene Montoya.

The Eagles deficit grew to 11-4 before their offense got back on the scoreboard, cutting into that deficit in the seventh inning. Morehead State pushed across a run on Montoya's one-out RBI double, which brought the score to 11-5 in favor of the Panthers. The Eagles were unable to get any closer, as neither team scored again in the ballgame.

EASTERN ILLINOIS 4, STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 3
HCU 6, EASTERN ILLINOIS 5 (8)
MONROE, La. - Eastern Illinois split its first two games of the ULM Warhawk Invitational on Friday as the Panthers beat Stephen F. Austin 4-3 in the opening game before an extra inning 6-5 loss to Houston Christian.
 
Eastern Illinois built an early 3-0 lead against Stepen F. Austin before needing to rally to score the game winning run during  a 4-3 win over the Lumberjacks.

After EIU built a 3-0 lead over the opening four innings, SFA was able to tie the game with three runs in the top of the fifth.

EIU responded during its half of the fifth as Briana Gonzalez delivered a two out hit that scored Karson Davey with the winning run.  Davey reached on a fielders choice and moved to third on a single by Sophie Cerveny.

The Panthers took advantage of two SFA errors to score two runs in the second and pushed their lead out to 3-0 in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Marybeth Dyson that scored Gonzalez.

SFA took advantage of an EIU error in the fifth as they evened the game at 3-3.  Ellie Vance had the lone RBI of the inning for SFA.

McKenzie Oslanzi (2-4) pitched into the sixth to pick up the win while Karlie McKenzie threw 1.1 innings of shutout relief for the save.  Gonzalez and Alisha Frederick each had two hits for EIU.

SFA (4-8) was led by Vance with two hits.  Jordan Ages took the loss falling to 1-2 on the season.
 
In the second game of the day Eastern Illinois again jumped out to an early lead but this time could not hold off a rally as Houston Christian scored three in the seventh to tie the game before beating the Panthers 6-5 in eight innings.

EIU opened the game with three runs in the first as Abbi Hatton delivered a two-run double to left center.  HCU cut into the EIU lead with a single run in the fourth on an infield RBI single by Hanna York.

Kendall Grover pushed the Panthers lead out to 5-1 in the fifth as she hit her second home run of the season with a two-run shot to left center.  Grover was 2-for-3 with two runs scored in the game.

HCU chipped away at the lead with a single run in the sixth before tying the game with three runs in the seventh.  Haylie Savage had a three-run home run for the Huskies to tie the game.

In the eighth EIU would put runners at second and third with two outs but could not get the big hit.  HCU took advantage of a two-out error in their half of the eighth to collect the win.

Bryanna French took the loss in relief falling to 1-2 on the year as EIU is now 4-8.

HCU improved to 3-6 with Cara Pittman (1-0) picking up the win.  York was the lone HCU with multiple hits going 2-for-3.

Hatton joined Grover as EIU players with two hits going 2-for-4.

SAMFORD 4, SOUTHERN INDIANA 0
BELMONT 8, SOUTHERN INDIANA 4
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - University of Southern Indiana Softball opened the University of Alabama Birmingham Green and Gold Classic with a pair of setbacks Friday, coming up short against Samford University, 4-0, and Belmont University, 8-4.
 
Southern Indiana (1-6) was tested quickly in the day's first contest against Samford (7-3). The Bulldogs took advantage of two walks and two hits by the first four batters of the game to score the first three runs in the top of the first inning. Senior pitcher Josie Newman then locked things down by retiring the next three Bulldogs to end the inning. USI could not respond in the bottom of the first, despite three players reaching base in the frame. However, the game would settle down following an eventful first inning.
 
With two strikeouts in the first inning, Newman recorded seven more through the fourth inning while posting zeroes on the scoreboard. Samford looked to add on in the fourth inning, but Newman slammed the door on a two-out bases-loaded situation with a strikeout.
 
Offensively, USI registered a hit in each of the first three innings, but the bats would be held in check the rest of the game. Samford tacked on an additional run on a home run in the sixth inning to take a 4-0 lead.
 
Newman (1-3) tossed six innings with nine strikeouts and four runs allowed before handing off to senior pitcher Whitley Hunter to pitch the seventh inning.
 
Samford's four runs came off six hits, and junior pitcher Olivia Trout (1-0) picked up the win with four shutout innings of work before handing off to the Bulldogs' relief staff.
 
In the second game of the afternoon against Belmont (6-5), USI faced another early deficit. The Bruins crossed home plate twice on a pair of RBI singles to go up 2-0.
 
Just like the opener against Samford, Southern Indiana got a hit in the first couple of innings but could answer Belmont's two-run first. However, the Screaming Eagles got their offensive breakthrough in the top of the third inning when sophomore infielder Sydney Long led off with a solo home run to make it a 2-1 ballgame. The home run was the first of the season for Long and USI.
 
Following the USI momentum shift, Belmont responded in the bottom of the third with another two-run frame to go ahead by three, 4-1. The Eagles got one back in the top of the fourth on freshman catcher Jordan Mackey's first career home run to cut the deficit in half, 4-2.
 
The Bruins continued to find offensive success, scoring four runs over the next two offensive innings to increase their advantage to 8-2.
 
The Screaming Eagles made one last push at a rally in the top of the seventh inning, not going down without a fight. With two outs on the board and a runner at first, Long connected for a two-run home run to bring USI within four, 8-4. It was Long's second of the game and USI's third long ball in the contest. However, USI could not sustain the late push as Belmont recorded the final out.
 
USI posted four runs on six hits. Long and Mackey each finished with a two-hit game. Both players' hits went for extra bases, as Mackey's other hit was a double. Long totaled three RBIs in the game.
 
In the pitching circle, freshman pitcher Kylie Witthaus (0-2) started the first three frames with a strikeout and four runs allowed. Hunter pitched in relief again, hurling the last three innings with three strikeouts and four runs – three earned – surrendered.
 
Belmont had its eight runs come on 10 hits. Senior pitcher Rayna Cruickshanks (3-1) was credited with the win for the Bruins after starting the first four innings with three strikeouts and two runs allowed before Belmont turned to relief for the final three innings.