GAME ONE BOX | GAME TWO BOX
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The Eastern Kentucky University softball team took sole possession of the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship after picking up a win at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The Colonels claimed the nightcap, 4-0, after dropping game one, 12-0.
EKU struck first in game two after Brooke Harrison doubled to center field to bring home Zoe Mihalicz who had singled two batters earlier, taking a 1-0 lead.
The Colonel bats got hot in the top stanza of the fifth inning. A trifecta of doubles off of the bats of Paige Murphy, Destinee Lizzmore and Hannah Clark scored two as the advantage continued to grow, 3-0. Emily Corbitt notched a sacrifice fly to center to plate Clark and EKU went up four, 4-0.
Mollie Paulick (18-5) kept SIUE at bay, allowing just three hits and tossing seven strikeouts through seven innings of work. The sophomore added another shutout to her resume and threw her 10th complete game of the season.
SIUE used two huge innings in game one to top EKU. The Cougars plated five in the first off of four hits and then piled on seven more runs in the bottom frame of the fourth. Eastern was unable to find an answer, ending it on mercy after playing 4.5 innings.
After the split the Colonels move to 37-16 (19-3 OVC) while SIUE goes to 24-19 (14-8 OVC).
With the win, Eastern Kentucky locks up the No. 1 seed in the 2018 OVC Softball Tournament. The squad will take on Morehead State at 6:30 p.m. eastern time on Wednesday, May 9.
