MOREHEAD, Ky. --Â The Morehead State Eagles got a boost from junior Darlene Montoya, who strung together three hits in an 8-2 loss to the Eastern Illinois Panthers Sunday.
MSU honored its four seniors prior to the first pitch: graduate student designated player Becca Crawford, pinch hitter Kaytlyn Cripps, second baseman Peyton Jordan and fifth-year center fielder Trinity Spear. Crawford notched her second single in two days and added a walk. Cripps, who was injured during practice earlier in the week which caused her to miss the first two games of the series, with a bandaged knee, battled through her lone at bat fouling off four pitches before flying out to right field. Jordan had a sacrifice fly, an RBI, three put outs and three assists and turned a double play by tagging out a runner and throwing to first base to get the batter. Spear drew two walks and caught four fly balls in the outfield.
Sophomore Jessie Begley (6-9) started and took the loss in the circle for Morehead State (11-26, 5-19). Freshman Addie Stem was a bright spot out of the bullpen, going 2.1 innings, surrendering one run on two hits, walking one and striking out one. Begley went 3.1 innings, allowing four runs, four earned runs on five hits, with five walks and no strikeouts. Freshman Cassiti Baroni threw 1.1 innings in relief, surrendering three runs (all earned) on four hits. She did not have a strikeout or walk.
Montoya's three-hit day led the Eagles offensively. Junior Samantha Cervantes compiled a standout effort as well, going 1-for-3 with a home run to left field and an RBI. Freshman Sela Pickford also helped out for Morehead State, putting together one hit in four trips to the plate while adding a double.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Eagles put runs on the scoreboard first, starting the scoring in the second inning. Cervantes put Morehead State on the board with a two-out solo home run off freshman McKenzie Oslanzi.
The Eagles lost the lead they built in the second, but got back on the board in the fifth trailing 7-1. Montoya came across to score the lone run of the inning for Morehead State, which tightened the Panthers lead to 7-2. The Eagles were unable to get any closer, as Eastern Illinois added one run to their tally on the way to an 8-2 final.
EIU scored three times in the third, one in the fourth, three in the fifth and one in the sixth, to collect its 20th consecutive victory over MSU and eighth straight in Morehead.
GAME NOTES
» Montoya led the Eagles, picking up three base knocks in the ballgame.
» Morehead State's highest scoring inning was the fifth, when it pushed one run across.
» Morehead State pitchers faced 38 Eastern Illinois hitters in the game, allowing eight ground balls and 10 fly balls while striking out one.
» The Eagles drew four walks from Eastern Illinois pitching.
» Cervantes led the Eagles at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI.
» Eastern Illinois was led offensively by Oslanzi, who went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
» Oslanzi led the Panthers pitching staff, throwing four innings of one-run ball.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
