RICHMOND, Ky. – After taking an off day on Friday due to severe weather in the area, EKU softball splits day two of the Colonel Classic with a 5-3 win over Ohio and a nine-inning loss to Indiana State on Saturday night at Gertrude Hood Field.
 
The Colonels earned their second win of the Colonels Classic against Ohio, 5-3, at the hands of two home runs. Three hours later, EKU drops a nine-inning thriller to Indiana State, 3-4.
 
With Saturday's results, EKU has won seven of its last 10 contests.
 
Vianna Barron and Jeanay Riley led the Colonels with three hits on the day. Barron went 3-of-4 from the plate against Ohio, improving her batting average to .419 on the season and extending her team-lead in hits to 26.
 
Lou Bowers, Jasmine Miller, and Riley each knocked one home run in the two-game stretch.
 
Sophomore Lauren Narvaez earned her sixth win on the season in the teams win over Ohio, Brooke Davis earned the save in 0.2 innings. Davis would return to throw all nine innings against the Sycamores, with two earned runs, taking the loss.
 
EKU 5, Ohio 3
WP: Narvaez (6-3)
SV: Brooke Davis (2)
 
The Colonels opened the first of Saturday's doubleheader with a 2-run homerun to dead center from Bowers, her fourth blast of the season. Jeanay Riley followed the homer with a double to the right center gap, bringing in Pertee for the Colonels third run of the bottom of the first.
 
Riley kicked off the bottom of the third with a solo shot to center to give EKU a 4-0 lead entering the back half of the game, her second of the season. 
 
Ohio responded in the top of the fourth with a single that advanced runners in scoring position, getting on the board, 4-1.
 
Riley extended the Colonels lead in the bottom half of the inning with a sac fly to right that brought in Barron, her third RBI of the contest.
 
The Bobcats tallied one run in each of its chances in the last two innings, narrowing the deficit. Narvaez ended her 10th start of the season with 6.1 innings pitched, four strikeouts, and only two earned runs.
 
B. Davis came into relief in the seventh inning with one out to shut the door on Ohio's efforts, throwing the last two outs and end the contest in EKU's favor 5-3.
 
EKU out-hit Ohio 9-8 and earned five walks to the Bobcats' four. 
 
Indiana State 4, EKU 3 (9 inn.)
LP: B. Davis (3-2)
 
A two-run second inning ignited the Colonels effort in game two of the doubleheader. Miller tacked her first blast of the 2023 campaign to center field. Freshman Jaelin Haynes ended the inning with a walk that brought in Bella Sanchez.
 
Indiana State's Annie Tokarek hit a 2-run homer in the top of the third to knot things up at two all.
 
Both teams remained scoreless for the following five innings, ISU held EKU hitless in the frame.
 
The Sycamores broke the standoff in the top of the eighth off an RBI single, giving ISU the 3-2 edge.
 
EKU would respond in the bottom half of the inning with its own RBI single from Riley, bringing in Barron.
 
Indiana State once again scored in the top of the ninth to take a 4-3 lead, which would be the ending result after the home team couldn't get the runner across with two K's.
 
EKU returns to action tomorrow to avenge tonight's loss to Indiana State at 1:00 p.m. ET at Gertrude Hood Field to conclude the Colonel Classic.