GAME ONE BOX SCORE: HTML | PDF
GAME TWO BOX SCORE: HTML | PDF
MOREHEAD, Ky. – The Morehead State softball team made it eight wins in a row over Ohio Valley Conference rival Eastern Illinois with a 2-0, 6-1 twinbill sweep Friday at University Field. The Eagles’ pitching allowed only three Panther hits, while junior third baseman Rebecca Butler set the MSU career home run record with a solo blast in the opener.
Previously unbeaten in the league at 7-0, the Panther bats were silenced after hitting seven homers in a doubleheader at Southeast Missouri this week. MSU’s Alex Gjevre struck out eight and allowed only a bunt single in the first game as she outdueled EIU’s Amber May. The two entered the weekend as the league leaders in strikeouts. The Eagles improved to 16-13, winning their eighth and nine games in the last 11, and 7-2 in the OVC.
The Eagles swept the Panthers last year and also won a game in the OVC Tournament. In 2008, the Eagles won the second and third games in the regular season series.
Gjevre has now won six straight games to improve to 8-7, and she stretched her streak to 23 consecutive innings in the circle without allowing an earned run. May fell to 9-8 as she fanned five Eagle hitters and only gave up three hits.
In the second game, the Eagles rapped out 10 hits and used a five-run fourth inning to pull away for the win. MSU senior Sarah Funston surrendered only two hits and no earned runs while striking out eight.
In game one, Butler got the Eagles on top 1-0 in the fourth with her fifth homer of the year – a solo shot to center. The round-tripper gave her 18 for her career, surpassing Nola Queen’s school career mark of 17.
The Eagles increased the advantage to 2-0 in the fifth when pinch hitter Ashley Archer smashed an RBI double to right centerfield.
Gjevre retired the Panthers in order in the first two innings before Abby Wood broke up the perfect game with a bunt single to second base in the third. Gjevre then retired the Panthers again in order in the fourth and fifth frames.
The Eagles carried a 1-0 lead into the fourth inning of game two before breaking out with a five-run effort. Kayla Ashbrook’s second-inning RBI single got the Eagles on the board first.
Freshman Elizabeth Wagner started the scoring flurry with a two-run single up the middle. Freshman Amber Riddle added an run-scroing one-bagger to left field, and senior Bianca Cardenas lifted a two-out, two-run single to left field to account for the five RBI. The Eagles still had the bases loaded and had batted around, but a substitution infraction ended the inning prematurely.
The Panthers thwarted the shutout bid in the fifth off Funston. Jen Saucier doubled home Denee Menzione, who had also doubled earlier in the inning.
Cardenas, Ashbrook, and Courtney Seiler each had two of MSU’s 10 hits.
The teams are scheduled to finish the series on Saturday at Noon EST. Wazoo Sports will broadcast the game live throughout Kentucky.
