Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

CHARLESTON, Ill. – After losing the first game of an Ohio Valley Conference softball doubleheader, Eastern Kentucky came back to post a shutout in the second game to earn a split with Eastern Illinois. The Colonels dropped the first game 4-3 before taking the second game 7-0.

Eastern Kentucky (12-26, 6-6 OVC) struck quickly in the second game, scoring five runs with two outs in the second inning. Cassi Gibson’s RBI single got the Colonels on the board. Diane Gallagher followed with a two-run triple to extend the margin to 3-0. Gallagher scored on EKU’s third straight hit, this time a single up the middle by Samm Daniels. Jena Handley capped the inning with an RBI single to left field to give Eastern a 5-0 lead.

That would be more than enough support for Eastern Kentucky pitcher Kristin Perry (5-11). The freshman tossed a complete game, three-hit shutout. She walked three and struck out six.

The Colonels added two more in the fourth, including an RBI single by Melissa Costa. The freshman finished with two hits in four at bats. Gallagher finished 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. Daniels went 2-for-4 and scored twice. Gibson also had two hits.

Melise Brown had two of EIU’s three hits.

Eastern Illinois (18-17, 8-4 OVC) scored first in the opening game. With a runner at third and one out in the bottom of the second, Melinda Jackson singled through the left side for a 1-0 Panther lead. A two-run single to left center by Hailee Hanna in the next inning extended EIU’s lead to 3-0.

Handley’s double to left center in the top of the fourth drove in Raquel Howes and got the Colonels on the board. EKU had runners at the corners and no outs in the fifth but failed to score.

Nikki Bruce tied the game in the sixth with a two-out, two-run home run over the center field fence. It was the first career home run for the freshman and it knotted the game 3-3. However, Eastern Illinois answered in the bottom half of the inning. Jackson drove in what proved to be the game winner with a single through the left side.

Jackson finished 2-for-2 with two RBIs. Brown went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Three different Colonels accounted for the team’s three hits. Amber May (11-10) went the distance in the circle for EIU, allowing three runs on three hits and striking out four.

The Colonels and Panthers will conclude their conference series with a single game on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m.