CHARLESTON - Grace Lueke became SIUE softball's Division I era leader in home runs Wednesday with her 11th blast of the season.

The home run in the second game highlighted the day for the Cougars, which dropped a pair of Ohio Valley Conference games at Eastern Illinois 6-5 in 11 innings and 10-2 in six innings.

"She is very deserving," said SIUE Interim Head Coach P.J. Finigan of Lueke. "She put in a lot of hard work and has been pretty consistent all year."

The Cougars dropped to 15-30 overall and 6-16 in the OVC. SIUE returns home for Senior Day Saturday, facing Southeast Missouri in a 4 p.m. single game.

The full OVC series includes a noon doubleheader Sunday.

On Wednesday, EIU and SIUE played both teams' longest game of the season, an 11-inning marathon in which Riley Dittmar singled home the game winner.

SIUE started the scoring with five runs in the third inning, highlighted by a two-RBI double by Jenna Herron and an RBI triple from Katie Smith.

EIU, 23-26 overall and 8-14 in the OVC, bounced back to scored three in the fourth and two more in the fifth. Neither team were able to score again until the 11th.

Olivia Price earned the win with 8-plus innings of relief. Mia Haynes suffered the loss for the Cougars.

In game two, Lueke gave the Cougars the lead with her 11th home run of the season, a blast to left center. Haynes scored on the play.

"Lueke didn't get a lot to hit, but she took advantage of the mistake," said Finigan. "It was a rocket to center field."

Lueke passed Alex McDavid who had 10 in 2013. She also tied Jodie Ohlau for fifth all-time with 11 homers. Ohlau hit 11 during SIUE's Division II national championship run in 2007.

The all-time leader is Erin Newman with 17 in 2001.

EIU pressed on in game two, scoring nine more runs and finishing the game in the sixth on a two-run single by Rachel Kaufman.

 

More like this: