Eastern Illinois University announced on May 16 that its softball team’s season ended after a 2-1 loss to Princeton in the elimination game of the Stillwater, Oklahoma NCAA Regional.
The game marked the end of a notable run for Eastern Illinois, which finished the season with a record of 36-23. This was the program’s second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its third in four years.
Despite recording eight hits compared to Princeton’s five, Eastern Illinois was unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities. Both teams hit solo home runs, with Sonia Zhang putting Princeton ahead in the second inning. Abbi Hatton responded for Eastern Illinois with a solo home run in the sixth inning, narrowing Princeton’s lead at that point.
Princeton scored what would be the winning run in the third inning when Gracieia Dominguez delivered an RBI single up the middle against Panthers starter Karlie McKenzie. The Panthers threatened again later in the game but could not bring runners home from scoring position.
Chloe Wamboldt and Alisha Frederick each had two hits for Eastern Illinois. Brielle Wright earned the win for Princeton by pitching in relief, while Dominguez contributed two hits offensively as well. The Tigers improved their record to 34-14 following this victory.
The conclusion of this season reflects continued progress for Eastern Illinois University’s softball program.
