RICHMOND, Ky. – SIUE softball swept its first Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader of the season Saturday with a pair of wins at Eastern Kentucky.
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The Cougars, 21-6 overall and 4-1 in the OVC, defeated the Colonels 5-1 and 8-0 in six innings.
"We did a lot of things well. I think the highlight of the day is that we are getting back to the offensive approach we had earlier in the year," said SIUE Head Coach Sandy Montgomery.
SIUE scored five unanswered runs in game one. Brittany Toney's two-run home run in the fifth inning extended SIUE's lead to 4-1. Tess Eby added a solo home run to lead off the sixth inning, the first of her collegiate career.
"Coach Montgomery had preached all day about being aggressive," said Toney. "She gave me the hit and run so I took my swing with the right mindset."
"They just put two good swings on it," said Montgomery of the home runs.
Haley Chambers collected her OVC-leading 12th victory in game one. She scattered four hits and struck out 13 batters.
In game two, Baylee Douglass earned her eighth win of the season in the circle with a four-hit shutout. The Cougar freshman fanned eight batters and outdueled five Eastern Kentucky pitchers.
"They (Chambers and Douglass) both threw well. They both had command. We minimized our walks," said Montgomery.
The Cougars scored the eventual winning run of game two in the third inning, but it was a seven-run rally in the sixth inning that put the eight-run rule into effect.
After Toney doubled to start the inning, Eby drew a walk. One out later, Jordan LaFave doubled both runners home, including Samantha Jones who was pinch-running for Toney. Chambers and Rebecca Gray added singles with Gray picking up an RBI.
EKU's pitching would then yield three walks and two hit batters in the inning. SIUE sent 13 batters to the plate in the sixth inning.
"We kept coming at them all through the lineup," said Montgomery.
SIUE continues on the road to Morehead State for an 11 a.m. CT doubleheader. Morehead State did not play at home Saturday against Eastern Illinois because of poor field conditions.
Article retrieved from www.siuecougars.com/sports
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