Box Score vs. Murray State
Box Score vs. Evansville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky sophomore Diane Gallagher tied the school’s stolen base record with four steals against Murray State on the final day of the Lady Bisons Classic hosted by Lipscomb in Nashville. The Colonels (1-12) lost to the Racers in extra innings 5-4 and then fell to Evansville 6-1.

After earning a walk to lead off the bottom of the first against Murray State, Gallagher stole second and then swiped third, giving her two stolen bases before the second Colonel finished her at bat. Gallagher scored to tie the game on a bunt single by Cassi Gibson. Jena Handley’s RBI single later in the inning left EKU in front 2-1 after one.

After the Racers (2-9) tied the game in the fourth, Eastern Kentucky went back on top with a run in the fifth, and the Colonels continued to lead by one heading into the final inning. Jenna Bradley’s two-run homer in the top of the seventh gave MSU a 4-3 advantage. Gallagher began the seventh inning just like the first. She reached on a walk and then moved to third with two more stolen bases, tying the EKU record. Gibson followed with a single to center to tie the game and force an extra inning.

An Eastern error in the eighth allowed Lauren Buch to score what proved to be the game winner. With two outs and the tying run at third in the bottom of the inning, Gallagher flied out to end the game.

Gibson went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Gallagher tied Chanze Patterson’s record of four stolen bases in one game, set against Tennessee State in 2006. Patterson also holds the school record for steals in a season (31) and career steals (70). After picking up another theft in Sunday’s second game, Gallagher has 17 stolen bases through 13 games this season. The sophomore has 41 career steals in less than two seasons.

Bradley finished 2-for-3 with a run and three RBIs for Murray State.

In the second game against Evansville (4-5), the Colonels fell behind 4-0 after two innings and never threatened. An RBI sacrifice in the fourth by Noelani Esperas cut the deficit to three, but that would be the only run Eastern would score.

Five different players recorded one hit for Eastern Kentucky. Jen Stahlhut and Jamie Lindauer each had three hits for Evansville and Amy Gaertner drove in three runs.

The Colonels will make their way to South Carolina for the third time this season during Spring Break. Eastern will play doubleheaders at North Carolina A&T on Tuesday and Elon on Wednesday before playing four games at the Winthrop/adidas Invitational in Rock Hill, S.C., next weekend.