CHARLESTON, Ill. -- The Belmont University Softball team continued its historic run as it opened Ohio Valley Conference play on Friday. The Bruins (24-7, 1-1 OVC) managed a split on the road at Eastern Illinois (15-15, 1-1 OVC). BU won game one, 4-3, handing the program its first win over EIU in program history, before being held off in the nightcap, 3-1.
The first three innings were a pitching duel between the programs with freshman Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) and Rogers trading strikeouts. The Panthers were the first to make a dent on the scoreboard, posting two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Belmont fired back in the top of the fifth frame.
After loading the bases with consecutive singles by senior Shersty Stanton (Pinckneyville, Ill.), sophomore Jordan Spicer (Hendersonville, Tenn.) and sophomore Baylee Cook (Lewisburg, Tenn.), another single that skimmed the left line by senior Kayla Wells (Bonney Lake, Wash.) drove in a run. Unfortunately, the wind, which gusted as high as 25 mph toward the plate at times, stranded the trio on base to keep the Panthers on top, 2-1. EIU went on to add another run in the bottom of the fifth but the Bruins refused to back down.
BU began its rally in the top of the sixth inning. Stanton singled to left and Spicer followed with a double into the right corner to score a run to cut the Panther lead to one run, 3-2. A stringent defensive effort kept Eastern Illinois off the board as the teams headed to a seventh and deciding inning. Wells opened with a single up the middle before immediately being moved to second base on an illegal pitch. Freshman Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.) knocked her first triple of the season to send the upperclassman over the plate. A throwing error allowed junior Lexi Rouse (Macon, Ga.) to reach first and a wild pitch plated Sims to push the Bruins ahead, 4-3. The Panther defense worked hard at the plate to keep another BU run from scoring but the damage had been done. Belmont did not allow Eastern Illinois to get a foothold in its half of the seventh frame. BU held on for the 4-3 victory, marking the first time in the series that the Bruins would come away victorious.
In game two, it would be the Bruins who struck first on the scoreboard. Cook opened with a double to right center before Sims was walked and Rouse reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Senior Chelsey Deloney (Gardendale, Ala.) smashed a sacrifice fly to score the go ahead run.
BU maintained its one run advantage for the next five innings. After put batters on with back-to-back singles, the Panthers used a three run home run over the left fence to take a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Even with a single in the top of the seventh, the Bruins were unable to get another run over the plate and fell by the same score.
For the series, Wells led the Bruins at the plate, going 5-for-8 with an RBI. Spicer went 3-for-6 with a pair of doubles and an RBI.
Inside the circle Lee and Rouse both notched complete games. Lee finished with seven strikeouts will Rouse tallied five.
Belmont returns to action on Sunday on the road at SIUE. The doubleheader is set for a 1 p.m. start. Live stats will be available.
