FLORENCE, Ala. - After dropping a closely fought series opener, the Eastern Kentucky University softball team roared back to sweep the doubleheader and take the series over North Alabama on Sunday, 9-0 and 7-3.

With the series win, the Colonels (34-14, 15-5 ASUN) put themselves solely in control of their destiny in the ASUN Gold Division. EKU holds a 2.0-game lead and the head-to-head advantage over second-place Central Arkansas with just three conference games remaining.

GAME ONE - EKU 9, UNA 0 (5 inn.)

Maddi Rutan (16-8) grabbed the start and the win for the Colonels, posting six strikeouts and allowing just a single hit in a complete game shutout. With the performance, Rutan has eclipsed over 200 strikeouts this season - the first to do so since Hayley Flynn in 2016 and the third Colonel pitcher total within the past ten seasons.

The Colonel bats were red hot from the start, posting runs in four of the five innings in the run rule win. Makayla Mathis posted her first of three RBIs in the game, opening the scoring in the first inning with a fielder's choice that saw every Colonel reach base safely. Jada McLeod followed up with a good eye, drawing a bases-loaded walk before Lilly Davis recorded her first RBI with a sacrifice fly.

Davis recorded three RBIs in both halves of the doubleheader, tying her season high and bringing her total to 18 on the year. The six RBIs were the most Davis has recorded in a series this season.

After a scoreless second inning, the Colonel offense opened back up with three more runs in the third. Mathis added her second RBI with a single up the middle as the Colonels loaded the bases. Davis tacked another run on with the Colonels' second bases-loaded walk before Mathis brought herself home on a wild pitch.

Mathis and Davis kept the trend going in the fourth inning with another two runs following a sac groundout from Mathis and another sac fly from Davis.

Jaelin Haynes and Reese Knox combined to put a cap on the game in the fifth inning. Knox provided a distraction with a successful steal of second base that allowed Haynes to take home.

GAME TWO - EKU 7, UNA 3

A second complete game appearance came in the circle for the Colonels as Victoria Byrum (12-3) went the distance in the win. The sophomore tallied six strikeouts of her own and carried a shutout through five innings, making it eight games this season with 5 or more strikeouts.

Offense came early and often for the Colonels, posting all seven runs in the first two innings with four in the first inning and three in the second. Rutan broke her RBI drought to score the first run with her own single up the middle. Davis followed suit with two more RBIs to her name, sneaking a grounder just past the outstretched Lion shortstop. Skyler Billips joined the RBI party with another Colonel single, this time to left center.

In the second inning, Mathis added a fourth and final RBI to her doubleheader total on yet another single through the middle while McLeod tallied another sacrifice fly. Davis put an exclamation mark on her day with a shot to deep left center that came just inches short of a three-run homer, settling instead for an RBI double.

Both defenses tightened up as the Lions managed their first run of the day in the bottom of the sixth inning. The home team threatened to cut the deficit further with runners on second and third, but Byrum's fifth strikeout of the day ended the threat.

UNA attempted one last surge in the final frame, plating two runs to cut the Colonel lead to 7-3 with a runner on second. Once more, however, Byrum ended the threat with a strikeout to secure the series win for EKU.

UP NEXT

The Colonels finish out the regular season schedule in Richmond, starting with a midweek matchup against rival Western Kentucky. The Colonels already bested the Hilltoppers once this season, 5-1 in the season-opener at the Buzz Classic in February. The rivalry game gets underway with first pitch set for 5 PM on Tuesday, Apr. 29.