Twenty-four hours after allowing three runs in the top of the seventh inning leading to a loss to Butler, sophomore pitcher Michelle Rogers came out and shut down the DePaul Blue Demons.

Rogers went all seven innings allowing eight hits and just one run. The one run came in the seventh inning when the Panthers already led 3-0. The final score of the game turned out to be 3-1.

“Every step of the way I think it’s getting better and better,” coach Angie Nicholson said. “ That’s great to see especially at this point in the season.”

Rogers improves her record to 2-3 with the win. Rogers struck out three batters and was able to keep the ball down as she got nine groundball outs. She walked just one batter in the game.

Nicholson added that the past two pitching performances for Rogers were big for her confidence.

DePaul was threatening in the top of the fifth, loading the bases with two outs, but Rogers shut them down as she did the previous four innings.

The Blue Demons also showed life in the seventh inning, scoring a run and leaving two runners on base to end the game.

“It helps for our team to know that she is getting better,” Nicholson said. “It’s going to make them play better behind her and have more confidence in her and trust in her.”

DePaul outhit the Panthers eight to five in the game.

The teams remained scoreless through the first two innings of the game, but an error by the right fielder allowed freshmen left fielder Kayla Bear and third baseman Mady Poulter to score on the play. Senior first baseman Kylie Bennett got the RBIs.

Senior April Markowski led the way for the Panthers at the plate going 2-3. Bear, center fielder Haylee Beck and Poulter each added one hit for the Panthers.

Beck’s hit came in the bottom of the fourth inning, singling to left fielder driving in catcher Ashlynne Paul. Paul reached base on a walk earlier in the inning.

The second game of the day did not go the Panthers’ way, as they fell to DePaul 5-3.

Sophomore pitcher Jessica Wireman was on the mound for the Panthers and took the loss. The loss drops her record to 7-13 on the season.

Wireman pitched all seven innings and allowed five earned runs. Wireman has been known as a strikeout pitcher this season, recording 89 strikeouts in 93 innings pitched coming into the game. She had four strikeouts in the contest Wednesday.

Wireman allowed five runs on five hits.

Markowski, freshman designated hitter Maria DeVito, and Poulter were the run producers in the game for Eastern.

DePaul got the scoring started right away, jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Eastern tied the game up in the bottom of the second inning. DeVito hit a line shot to left center for a double driving in Markowski on the play.

The tie game would not last for too long, as the Blue Demons scored three runs in the top of the third inning. DePaul got the bases loaded early in the inning and Wireman got Naomi Tellez to ground out to the shortstop Katie Watson, but Haydn Christensen scored on the play.
DePaul followed that up with a single by Nicole Pihl driving in Micah Fitzgerald. The fourth run came from Morgan Maize stealing home.

Eastern did have five hits just like DePaul, but the Blue Demons were able to get their runners in.

Eastern finished their mid-week games with a 1-2 record. Butler and DePaul are not Ohio Valley Conference teams so the losses and wins do not go towards the Panthers’ OVC record.
The Panthers will get back to OVC play this weekend when they travel to Jacksonville State to take on the Gamecocks.

Eastern’s overall record sits at 9-17 after splitting the doubleheader with the Blue Demons.

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