MOREHEAD, Ky. – The Morehead State softball team out-scored visiting Eastern Illinois 4-1 over the final six innings of the two teams' opening Ohio Valley Conference series on Sunday at the University Field at Prefontaine Park in Morehead. However, the Panthers came away with a 9-5 victory because they scored eight times in the top of the first.
The weekend was initially scheduled to include a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday, but due to impending weather, the series was shifted to a single game on Sunday and a doubleheader on Monday.
It also was the home opener for Morehead State (1-14/0-1), which saw the end of a winning streak after having won its last three games of 2025 on its own field.
"The hitters made good adjustments throughout the game," said Eagle head coach
Megan Griffith. "It was great to see Taikibrea (Campbell) and Sage (VanDemark) with the long balls today."
Eastern Illinois (6-16/1-0) put its first six batters on base before Morehead State (1-14/0-1) could collect its first out. In total, the Panthers sent 12 individuals to the plate in the opening frame. The visitors benefitted from a pair of doubles by junior right fielder Alisha Frederick, who drove in four runs off her two shots, and a solo homer by senior second baseman Lizzie Stiverson. EIU collected six hits in the inning.
MSU did battle back, beginning in the bottom of the first when junior second baseman
Sage VanDemark homered to left field to cut into the deficit.
The visitors put a pair of runners on base in the top of the second but left them stranded at second and third as the Eagles forced a strikeout and ground out to end the threat.
The Panthers went down in order in the third, before the Eagles really got the bats going. Junior center fielder
Maddy Christopher singled to lead off the rally, VanDemark followed with a successful bunt and junior catcher
Sydney Farmer drove both in with a one-out double to left field. Senior right fielder
Taikibrea Campbell then homered over the fence in right field to draw the Blue and Gold to within three.
Neither team was able to mount much of a rally in the fourth as EIU made a pitching change to senior Bryanna French to start the bottom of the inning.
Eastern Illinois added an insurance run in the top of the fifth on junior third baseman Hillary Springer's RBI single.
In the MSU half, junior shortstop
Sela Pickford reached on an infield single and Farmer drew a walk, but a double play ended the inning.
Both teams put runners on base in the sixth and seventh, including a seventh-inning shot by VanDemark that literally bounced off the top of the fence and fell back into play before ending in a double, but neither side could bring anyone home.
The victory snapped a four-game losing skid for EIU, which has now won its last 24 against the Eagles, including 15 straight in Morehead.
MSU finished with seven hits, two errors and left five runners on base. EIU had 12 hits, one error and stranded nine.
VanDemark led the way for the Blue and Gold with a 3-for-4, two-run, RBI performance. Farmer and Campbell each went 1-for-3, with a run and two RBI. Christopher and Pickford also added one hit apiece.
Frederick topped the Panthers at 2-for-4, with four RBI and a run. Junior shortstop Chole Wamboldt was 3-for-3, with two runs. Stiverson was 2-for-3, with two RBI and a run. Eight Eastern Illinois batters recorded a hit.
Freshman
Allicen Harris got the start but only pitched to five batters before yielding to junior
Ainsley Stubbs. Harris fell to 0-5 after surrendering five runs (all earned) on five hits. Stubbs pitched five innings and allowed four runs (all earned) on six hits. She had five strikeouts and five walks. Senior
Rylie Burney closed with two strong innings of shutout work, giving up just one hit and two walks. She did not have a strikeout.
French pitched the final four innings to gain the win and improve to 3-4. She did not allow a run, while striking out two, but did give up two hits and two walks. Sophomore Rylan Gick started and went three innings, surrendering five hits on five runs (all earned). She struck out three and walked one.
The two teams return on Monday to conclude the series with game two at noon and game three at 2:30 p.m.
The Eagles head out on the road for their next eight games, before returning home to host Tennessee Tech on March 28-29. Next up is a Wednesday doubleheader at Northern Kentucky. First pitch for the opening contest is scheduled for 2 p.m.
