EIU softball swept Southern Indiana on the road to move closer towards clinching its third straight Ohio Valley Conference regular season title.
The Panthers (30-20, 20-3) won twice on Saturday with a 6-2 win in game one and a 6-1 win in game two of a doubleheader.
Sunday’s series finale started positive for Eastern as well, as junior catcher Sophia Olman singled to drive home a run in the top of the first to spart a three-run first inning for the Panthers.
However, USI responed quickly by knocking starting senior pitcher Karlie McKenzie out of the game two outs deep into her start.
Senior pitcher Bryanna French took over and inherited the bases loaded, and USI singled to take a 4-3 lead after the first inning.
Scoring settled down until the fourth, when Olman drew a bases-loaded walk to tie it and sophomore first baseman Abbi Hatton singled to right field to score the go-ahead run.
Eastern tacked on two more runs for insurance, as French (9-6) pitched the final six and one thirds innings and allowed five hits and no runs to seal the 7-4 victory to complete the series sweep.
Saturday’s doubleheader saw Eastern crush four home runs in the game one victory. Olman hit two of those home runs; freshman catcher Peyton Dwigans gave Eastern a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a solo shot and senior third baseman Lizzie Stiverson hit a two-run homer to help the Panthers pull away.
Game two was dominated by sophomore pitcher Rylan Gick (11-4), who pitched a complete game and allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out 10 hitters to improve her season total to an OVC-best 91 strikeouts.
The Panthers are a full two games ahead of UT Martin in first place in the OVC and can clinch at least a share of the regular season title or clinch it outright in their final series of the season at home against Tennessee State this upcoming weekend.
If Eastern wins one game against the Tigers, who are in last place in the league and only have two wins this season, then the Panthers clinch a share of the title if UT Martin wins all of its games against Southern Indiana.
A series victory over the Tigers, or a series loss by UT martin to Southern Indiana clinches the Panrthers their third-straight outright regular season title.
The series starts with a single game on Friday followed by a doubleheader Saturday.
Friday’s first pitch is set for 5 p.m.
Gabe Newman can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].
