Box Scores    Game 1  I  Game 2

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky lost both games of an Ohio Valley Conference softball doubleheader to league newcomer Southern Illinois Edwardsville on Saturday at Gertrude Hood Field. The Cougars won the first game 8-4 and picked up a 7-5 victory in game two.

A solo home run by Rachel Coonrod in the first inning and a three-run shot by Taylor Tooley in the third allowed SIU Edwardsville (21-21, 13-7 OVC) to take control in game one. Both home runs came with two outs in the inning.

EKU (21-20, 8-14 OVC) cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Shyenne Hussey and a RBI fielder’s choice by Christina Ciolek. That is as close as the Colonels would get. SIUE platted four unearned runs in the fourth to put the game out of reach.

Coonrod finished 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs for SIU Edwardsville. Erika Taylor (14-11) went the distance allowing two earned runs and striking out 10.

Hussey hit her fifth home run of the season and finished 2-for-2 with a run and two RBIs.

A solo home run in the first inning of game two by Raquel Howes got the Colonels on the board first. Back-to-back RBI singles by Diane Gallagher and Cassi Gibson in the second extended the lead to 3-0.

After a pair of runners scored in the top of the third inning for the Cougars, Paige Sheeder gave SIUE the lead with a two-run home run down the left field line.

Samm Daniels scored on a SIUE fielding error in the bottom of the third to tie the score 4-4.

SIU Edwardsville scored three runs in the fourth to take the lead for good. Tooley drove in the first two runs with a single down the left field line. She finished 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs. Chelsea Yankolovich and Lindsey Barron both recorded two hits and each scored a run.

Gibson led Eastern Kentucky with a 3-for-4 performance. She scored once and drove in one.

The Colonels and Cougars will conclude their three-game set on Sunday at 1 p.m. EKU will hold its Senior Day ceremonies before the start of the game.