Softball falls to EIU in OVC Tournament opener

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OXFORD, Ala. - Morehead State softball fell behind early after giving up five first inning runs and fell 7-0 to No. 2 Eastern Illinois in the first round of the OVC Tournament at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala.

With the loss, the Eagles move to 25-26 on the year and will now face No. 6 Tennessee Tech in an elimination games on Thursday morning at 10 a.m.

"We got in an early hole and couldn't recover," said head coach David Williams. "We put the ball in play, but couldn't find the holes and we weren't able to push any runs across."

In the first inning, sophomore Mackenzie Grossmann allowed three hits, two walks, and hit two batters, but it was a pair of two-out, two-run singles that generated the damage. EIU's Jennette Isaac delivered the second two-out, two-run single to make the score 5-0 and Grossmann exited the contest. Allison Rager then induced a flyout to left field to get out of the inning.

Rager allowed single runs in the second and the third inning, but settled in and threw well. She allowed four hits and two runs, just one of which was earned, in 5.1 innings. She walked two and struck out two.

The Eagles managed just two hits off of All-OVC First Teamer Jessica Wireman, a single by Kayla McGuffey in the first and a single by Robyn Leighton in the seventh. 

Wireman (18-17) recorded the shutout victory, allowing just two hits and one walk, while striking out six.

Grossmann (9-17) picked up the loss after allowing three hits and five earned runs in two-thirds of an inning.