CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Eastern Illinois softball played a pair of games on a damp Saturday afternoon with the final game of the day impacted by soggy field conditions. EIU lost both contests during day two of the Frost Classic losing 8-3 to Akron and 11-9 to host Chattanooga.
Due to rain impacting the tournament schedule, EIU's Sunday schedule has been adjusted and the Panthers will now play Western Michigan on Sunday at 10 a.m. instead of its scheduled second game with Akron.
AKRON 8, EIU 3
Akron scored three runs in the first inning and tacked on three more in the fourth as the early offense stood up during an 8-3 win over Eastern Illinois.
The Zips scored three in the first inning, the big hit a two-run single by Jaiden Bryant as she was one of two Akron players with multiple hits in the game. Kalli Macintosh-Houlder was 3-for-3 with a two-run home run in the fourth.
EIU got on the board in the bottom of the sixth as
Jaylen Prichard drove in
Morgan Lewis with a double.
The Panthers plated two more runs in the bottom of the seventh after
Rachel Kaufman opened the inning with a double.
Aryn Henke drove in the first run and
Maddie Swart the second. Kaufman and Swart both had two hits to lead EIU.
Haley Croyle (2-0) went the distance for Akron for the win.
Tieghan Morio (1-1) suffered the loss for EIU.
CHATTANOOGA 11, EIU 9
Eastern Illinois jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning and again had a lead in the top of the fourth, but the Panthers could not hold either lead falling 11-9 to Chattanooga.
With bases loaded in the top of the first
Rachel Kaufman delivered the first run scoring hit of the inning with a single up the middle. EIU would score two additional runs on wild pitches before
Briana Gonzalez had the final RBI of the inning.
Chattanooga chipped away at the lead with three in the bottom of the first, two in the second and then took the lead with a run in the third taking advantage of an EIU error.
The Panthers regained the lead in the fourth with a two-run single through the left side by
Kendall Grover. She was 2-of-3 in the game, one of two Panthers with multiple hits in the game.
Jaylen Prichard was the other going 2-for-3 with three runs scored.
The Mocs scored four in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead for good. Acelynn Sellers had the big hit of the inning, a three-run home run. It was the second home run of the game for Chattanooga with Adison Keylon hitting one in the second. Sellers led Chattanooga going 3-for-5 at the plate.
Peja Goold (2-1) picked up the win in relief.
Alexa Rehmeier (2-2) suffered the loss for EIU.
EIU is now 6-7 on the season.
