CHARLESTON, Ill. - Lindenwood softball (25-22, 13-12 OVC) dropped their opening game at Eastern Illinois (36-15, 20-4 OVC) by a final score of 3-1. Both teams were hit-less until the fourth inning before EIU pulled away late.
Avery Wapp (L, 9-11) held the Panthers without a hit until the fifth inning where Eastern Illinois scored all three runs. Wapp's final line was 6.0 innings pitched allowing three runs on four hits with four strikeouts. She moves to 9-11 on the season.
McKenzie Oslanzi (W, 21-4) was the winning pitched for the Panthers after tossing all seven innings allowing two hits and one run with two strikeouts. She leads the Ohio Valley Conference in wins this season with 21.
Lindenwood's offense was limited to two hits on Saturday with
Mya Bethany and
Ashley Gerber both earning singles in the loss. The Lions left three runners on base while only striking out twice.
Both Wapp and Oslanzi went three up three down during the first two innings of action on Saturday. The Lions allowed their first base runner in the third inning with an error at third base. Gerber posted the first hit of the ball game in the fourth inning with a single up the middle off of Oslanzi.
Eastern Illinois had their first hit in the fifth and capitalized on it bringing home three runs. After a lead-off single by Oslanzi and a single by Marama Makea, Kendall Grover drove in the first two runs with a single. Rachel Kaufman then had a single to bring home the third and final run. EIU had all four of their hits in the fifth.
Lindenwood responded with their lone run of the afternoon in the sixth.
Dallis Darnell started the inning with a walk and was moved over to third with a sac bunt by
Hanna Johanning and a wild pitch.
Irelynn West then had an RBI groundout to bring home Darnell. Bethany also had a bunt single during the sixth.
The Lions' had an opportunity to tie the game in the seventh with a runner on and two outs, but were shut down by Oslanzi to end the series' first game. Sunday will be a double header starting at 1:00 p.m. CT in Charleston, Ill. For more information go to lindenwoodlions.com.
