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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Despite dropping two games 2-0 and 3-2 on Friday afternoon to Eastern Illinois at Williams Field, the Morehead State softball team was able to clinch a berth in the Ohio Valley Conference postseason tournament, and senior left-handed ace Chelsea McManway once again broke the single-season strikeout record.
 
McManway, after finishing the 2017 season with a record 244 batters fanned, entered the day needing just five strikeouts to surpass her record. The Wellston, Ohio, native easily passed the mark with 10 strikeouts in the day's opening 2-0 defeat to bring her 2018 strikeout total to 249 with two regular-season games remaining.
 
The Eagles, who are 27-19 overall and 8-12 in OVC play, also have clinched a berth in the OVC postseason tournament in Oxford, Ala., next week. Thanks to Jacksonville State sweeping Tennessee Tech, Morehead State clinched a spot in the conference tournament for the first time since 2016.
 
The pair of wins improved the Panthers to 33-17 overall and 10-8 in OVC play.
 
EASTERN ILLINOIS 2, MOREHEAD STATE 0
 
The Eagles had runners reach scoring position on three separate occasions in the first, second and third innings but were never able to capitalize on the opportunities.
 
A pair of walks in the fifth inning proved to be what doomed McManaway and the Eagles in a tough loss to open the day against Eastern Illinois. A walk, single, and another walk loaded the bases for the Panthers before Kayla Bear squeeze bunted a ball back to McManaway, allowing a runner to come across and break the scoreless tie
 
The home squad added another in the sixth after an error allowed a runner to score from second, but the damage had already been done as the Eagles went hitless in the game's final frame.
 
Morehead State finished with two hits in the game, both singles off the bats of seniors Kylie Holton and Taylor Wheeler.
 
McManaway, who started in the pitcher's circle and set the new school record for strikeouts in a season during the game, went the full seven innings and gave up just four hits and one earned run while striking out 10 and walking three. The loss dropped the senior to 16-9 for the season.
 
The Panthers' Jessica Wireman improved her record to 14-10 in the complete game win. Wireman gave up just the two hits and walked four walks while matching McManaway in strikeouts with 10.
 
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, MOREHEAD STATE 2
 
Senior catcher Robyn Leighton gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead after blasting her sixth home run of the season over the center-field wall. Unfortunately, the lead was short-lived as the Panthers answered with three straight hits in the home half of the first and scored two runs of their own.
 
The pitchers, Allison Rager for Morehead State and Michelle Rogers for Eastern Illinois, settled in after the opening inning as both held their opponents scoreless until EIU's Bear singled up the middle to score Jennifer Ames from third and give her team the walk-off win.
 
Leighton produced a good outing from the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI on the homer and a single. Seniors Ellen Barrett and Hannah Murphy also had hits, along with freshman Paige Scruggs to make up the five Eagle hits in the loss.
 
The junior Rager took the loss, dropping to 10-9 for the year. Rager gave up 13 hits but pitched well under pressure, forcing the Panthers to leave nine runners on base.
 
Rogers was the victorious pitcher and improved to 17-6 overall after the extra-inning showdown.
 
NEXT UP
 
Morehead State continues its road trip in Illinois with a trip to SIUE to face the Cougars in what is the final two games of the season. The Eagles and Cougars are scheduled to get underway at 3:30 p.m. ET at Cougar Field.