The Eastern softball team won 7-6 in the second game of a doubleheader after scoring seven unanswered runs in the final two innings.

Junior April Markowski was hit by a pitch, which forced in a run to tie the game at six, then senior Bailey O’ Dell hit a sacrifice fly to right field scoring the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth.

The Panthers were down 6-0 in the third inning when the game went into a 45 minute rain delay.

The teams came back out and the score remained the same after the fourth inning. The Panthers started their comeback in the fifth.

During the rain delay, coach Angie Nicholson just wanted the team to stay loose and not focus too much about the game.

Sophomore Ashlynne Paul started the sixth inning with a single, and junior Katie Watson and junior Kylie Bennett followed behind with two more singles.

Junior Haylee Beck came up with the bases loaded and singled up the middle to score Paul to put the Panthers within one run.

Bennett struggled in the first game, but she started a four-run rally in the 5th with a single.

Despite the struggles in the first game, Bennett was able to refocus and come through in the second game.

“Every at-bat is a new one,” Bennett said. “I try to never let other at bats influence then next. When I started it, it felt so good to finally pull through for my team.”

Freshman Taylor Monahan, who pinch ran for Bennett, would eventually score on a double by O’Dell that also scored Markowski.

Senior Hannah Cole kept the scoring going with a single to center that scored O’Dell and junior Jennette Isaac. Cole was thrown out at second.

Before all of the scoring by the Panthers, Markowski made a key play in the field throwing out the leadoff hitter at second.

“I feel like throwing that girl out at second was very important,” Markowski said. “Every girl on base is a possible run so to get her out felt amazing and it got me really hyped and the team.”

Nicholson was happy with how the Panthers fought through the game.

“It speaks a lot that we had people contributing from one to nine,” Nicholson said. “That is just what we needed.”

Freshman Michelle Rogers got her second win on the day after coming in on relief for freshman Jessica Wireman, who started the game but was pulled after giving up four runs in two innings.

Freshman Tori Johnson pitched one inning, allowing two runs, both unearned.

Game one was a close game all the way through.

The Panthers won the game, 3-1.

Eastern got the first two runs of the game in the 3rd inning.

Freshman Andrea Roberts got the scoring started driving in Isaac on a single and advancing O’Dell to third.

O’Dell scored what would be the winning run on a Watson walk.

The Panthers added one insurance run in the fifth when Beck drove in Roberts on a single.

Rogers got the win after allowing one run on six hits and striking out two in five innings of work.

Wireman got the two-inning save.

The Panthers will go for the sweep of Murray State on Monday at 2 p.m.

Sean Hastings can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].