NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Eastern Kentucky University softball team kept things rolling as they picked up a doubleheader sweep of Lipscomb on Saturday afternoon, 2-1 and 8-6.

The Colonels (30-10, 11-2 ASUN) continue their streak of ASUN series wins, having yet to drop one this season. The team also secured a 30-win season for the third time in five season and their second season in a row.

GAME ONE - EKU 2, LIP 1 (9 inn.)

It was the third series-opener of the season that went to extra innings for the Colonels, and once again, they came out on top. The Colonels are now 3-0 this season in extra inning games, having won the previous two 3-1 and 2-1, both against Central Arkansas.

Maddi Rutan (14-6) made the start for EKU in the circle and recorded another complete game through extra-innings, making it three appearances on the season with more than 7.0 innings pitched for the sophomore - all three resulting in wins. Rutan allowed just seven baserunners and one run in 9.0 innings pitched, recording her seventh double-digit strikeout game of the season with ten.

The Bisons were first on the board, breaking the Colonels' twelve-game streak of scoring first. A bases-loaded jam allowed Lipscomb to push a run across on a hit-by-pitch, but Rutan collected her second and third strikeouts of the game to keep the damage to a minimum.

Rutan got the run back herself in the third inning, tying the game at 1-1. After Reese Knox reached base and stretched to second on a fielding error by the Bison third baseman, Rutan snuck a line drive just past the outstretched glove of the second baseman for an RBI single.

Five shutout innings from both pitchers followed, allowing just a combined five hits and six baserunners until the Colonels found the breakthrough in the top of the ninth.

With Sharyn Duncan on first base following a fielder's choice, Taci Haase laced her first collegiate triple down the right field line and into the corner to inch the Colonels in front.

The Colonel defense remained as stout as it had been all game in the bottom of the frame, going three up, three down to grab the series-opening win.

GAME TWO - EKU 8, LIP 6

Victoria Byrum (10-2) was first in the circle for the Colonels, pitching a shutout through six innings on the way to her first ten-win season, racking up her seventh five-strikeout appearance in the process. Alena Hillyard made an appearance in relief as well.

The bats were much hotter for the Colonels in the day's second game, striking first with a run in the top of the first. Rutan put the first run on the board once again, popping a sac fly to center field that scored Makayla Mathis.

Two more runs followed in the second inning, stretching the lead to 3-0. Riley Oleksik collected her sixth RBI of the season with a single through the left side, also recording her first multi-hit collegiate game. Reese Knox followed up with a sac fly to center of her own, the eighteenth RBI of the season for her.

After two scoreless innings, the Colonels tacked on another two-run frame in the fifth. With the bases loaded, Skyler Billips worked a hard-fought at-bat to draw an RBI walk before Haase grabbed her second RBI of the day with a sacrifice groundout.

The Colonels added three more insurance runs in the top of the seventh. With Rutan and Jada McLeod on second and third, a wild pitch followed by a throwing error allowed both runners to score. Mathis grabbed the last RBI of the game for the Colonels with another bases-loaded walk. 

The Bison staged a furious comeback attempt in the bottom of the seventh. Grabbing the momentum with a lead-off baserunner off a Colonel error, Lipscomb posted six runs in the final frame before the Colonel defense regrouped and shut down the comeback to secure the victory and the series.

UP NEXT

The teams finish out the series with a single game on Sunday at 2 PM ET. Afterwards, the Colonels return to Richmond for a series against Austin Peay that could potentially decide the winner of the ASUN Gold Division.