Eastern Illinois softball rode a six-run third inning to win its second game of the doubleheader against Southeast Missouri State 8-5 on Friday at Willams Field.  

Eastern (16-16, 8-3) split the first two games of the three-game series against SEMO (14-12, 7-4), losing the first game 3-0. 

In the first game, Eastern could not get its bats to make an impact. The wind did affect things as it was very windy for the entire first game. However, in the second game the bats came alive for six hits and eight runs.  

“Well, obviously the wind was a factor today, so putting the ball in the air, it’s an out,” head coach Kristi Paulson said. “And we just didn’t adjust.” 

There was some controversy in game two.  The scoring for Eastern started in the third inning when sophomore outfielder Karson Davey hit a fly ball to left field which could not be corralled by a diving SEMO outfielder.  

The call on the field though, was an out. Eastern challenged the play and got the call overturned which initially scored two runs.  

However, SEMO’s head coach Mark Redburn argued that Eastern’s senior infielder Bri Gonzalez, who was on first base, should not have made it to home plate. The umpires went to review again and made Gonzalez go back to third base.  

Kristi Paulson said that it was because the initial call was out and even though Gonzalez made it to home during the play, the most that a runner can advance is two bases. With that Gonzalez started at first so she was made to go back to third.   

Coach Dan Paulson argued with the umpires about it and got ejected from the game.  

“So, there was some discrepancy on where the runner should have stopped,” Kristi Paulson said. “You get two bases on that, and so they put her back at third. We didn’t agree, but that is what it is.” 

In the previous two innings SEMO scored four runs. At that point in the third inning, the game was 4-3 when freshman outfielder Morgan Hance pinch hit for junior outfielder Marybeth Dyson. The bases were loaded with two outs when Hance got up to plate. However, the freshman had no nerves.  

“You know, my mindset was really calm,” Hance said. “I felt good knowing that my teammates and my coaches were confident with me coming in, in that situation.” 

Hance came up big as she drove in two out of the three runners. Hance only had one at bat on the day, but it ended up being a big one.  

Eastern would continue to tack on the runs as two more runs scored making the score 7-4 at the end of the third inning.  

At the bottom of the fourth junior infielder Kendall Grover added to the lead she hit her eighth home run of the season to put Eastern up 8-4. 

“It felt really good. I was a little worried it was going to get stuck in that wind,” Grover said. “The wind today was pretty brutal, but I saw the center fielder turn her back to it, and I knew it was going to go far, and then I saw it just barely bounce over.” 

The score would stay the same until the seventh inning. Junior pitcher Karlie McKenzie held SEMO to only four runs until the seventh. In the seventh inning she let in a run and a baserunner when she got taken out for junior pitcher Bryanna French.  

French ended up getting the save, finishing the game with one strikeout. 

The first game was a very different tale; a battle between pitchers.  

Eastern sophomore pitcher McKenzie Oslanzi held SEMO to one hit through the first six innings.  

“I just knew my teammates had my back,” Oslazni said. “And I just kept throwing my pitches, and my teammates kept making plays, and I was proud of them, and I had confidence in them.” 

Oslanzi finished the game with six strikeouts, but it was not enough as she allowed three unearned runs in the top of the seventh. Eastern could not respond in the bottom of the seventh. 

SEMO senior pitcher Delaney Kell pitched a complete game shutout as Eastern left six runners on base throughout the game.  

Eastern still plays SEMO one more time tomorrow, but Oslanzi is not too worried about the game. 

“I just go into it, like, not worrying too much, just really, like, having confidence in myself and in my teammates, and we get the job done,” Oslanzi said. 

Eastern finishes up the series on Saturday at Williams Field at 11 a.m. 

 Patrick Schmitz can be reached at 581-2812 or at pfschmitz@eiu.edu.