PEORIA, Ill. (WAND) – It took two tries, but Eastern Illinois softball won its second Ohio Valley Conference softball championship in the last three.
EIU dropped game one to SIUE 4-3, but came up victorious in the second game 1-0.
Karlie McKenzie tossed eight shutout innings to improve to 11-3 on the season, earning OVC Tournament MVP honors.
McKenzie was 2-0 in the tournament.
In the bottom of the eighth Kendall Grover led off the inning with a double to left center. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Alisha Frederick and then scored on a wild pitch, sending the Panthers to their second NCAA Tournament appearance.
EIU improved to 34-20 on the season and clinched an automatic birth to the NCAA Tournament.
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