Eastern softball won the series against Tennessee State University with a 4-3 win on Sunday afternoon.
Eastern took the second and the third game due to late game scores. Senior outfielder Aryn Henke brought in a run with a sacrifice RBI in the bottom of the sixth to put the Panthers over.
“I was just trying to do what I could for the team,” Henke said. “Rachel [Kaufman] came up big with the leadoff double, got us in scoring position. We were just trying to score a run there and just hope for the best.”
Eastern started the game fast by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman pitcher McKenzie Oslanzi was able to start the run with an RBI double.
“Really, I was just sitting middle,” Oslanzi said. “I knew she had some good spin on her, but I was really just focused on the pitch down the middle, and I waited, and I got that.”
Henke was able to bring in two more runners in the inning. She finished with three RBIs on the day.
On the other side of the ball, senior pitcher Olivia Price started the game. She was able to pitch four scoreless innings. However, in the fifth inning, she walked three batters and let in three runs. Head coach Tara Archibald decided to keep her out there, letting her finish the inning.
“And to get out of that, I mean, yeah, she gave up the runs, but man, she shut the door at the end of that inning too,” Archibald said. “So then let [Oslanzi] come in and slam the door and finish the game.”
TSU was able to tie the game in the fifth. Eastern did not back down as they kept fighting and won the game in the bottom of the sixth.
“It’s like, let’s answer back, right? Let’s answer back,” Archibald said. “They came out, let’s answer back and get us back going and honestly, I think it woke our offense up a little bit, so that was good as well.”
Oslanzi was able to come into the game in the sixth inning and shut the door, as she finished with two strikeouts and only allowed one hit.
As the conference schedule hits just a little over the halfway mark, winning the series against TSU puts Eastern one and a half games ahead for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference.
“They’re doing really, really well in conference play right now,” Archibald said. “So, to have that series win is huge when you get to the end of the year.”
With the win Eastern improves to 25-12 overall and 11-4 in conference play. The Panthers play the University of Southern Indiana next who is 10-5 in conference play and second in the OVC. That game will be on Saturday at three p.m. in Evansville, Indiana.
Patrick Schmitz can be reached at 581-2812 or at pfschmitz@eiu.edu.
