DECATUR, Ala. – The Lady Statesmen split two games on the opening day of the Charger Chillout, dropping the early contest 6-4 to the University of Indianapolis, and rebounding to defeat Missouri Science & Technology 8-4. 

The Lady Statesmen (8-2) jumped out to an early lead, plating three runs in the top of the first inning against Indianapolis (1-0) with an RBI-walk by Courtney Clark and a two-RBI single by Brittany Eikner. Paige Silverthorn then stretched the lead to 4-0 with her first home run of the season, a solo shot to rightfield. 

Fielding errors cost Delta State in the top of the fifth inning when Indianapolis cut the lead to one, 4-3, with a home run Ashley Boxley, Maggie Swanson hit an RBI-double, and Megan Russell's fly ball to right field was dropped to allow a third run to score. 

The Lady Statesmen had a chance to extend the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning with runners on second and third with less than two outs, but Brittany Tillery's laser shot was hit right at Swanson in centerfield, and Amanda Wendlinger got a strikeout to end the inning. 

The Greyhounds got three more runs in the top of the seventh, two on solo-home runs, to claim the victory, 6-4. 

Edie Oliver (4-1) was charged with the loss, allowing six runs, four earned, on eight hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. 

Wendlinger (1-0) earned the win for the Greyhounds, allowing four runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and five walks. 

In the second game, the Lady Statesmen again scored first with a solo-home run by Clark, her second of the season. They added two more in the top of the fourth on an RBI-double by Oliver and an RBI-single by Eikner, stretching the lead to 3-0. 

Missouri S&T (0-1) tied the game in the bottom of the fifth with one swing of Maggie Schroeder's bat, a three-run blast to right-centerfield. 

The Lady Statesmen answered right back in the top of the sixth, scoring on Kim Hensley's RBI-walk and adding two on Tillery's RBI-single. They stretched the lead to 8-3 with two runs in the top of the seventh. 

The Miners scored one in the bottom of the seventh, but left two runners on as the final out was recorded for a Delta State victory, 8-4. 

Brooke Allgood (3-1) earned the win, allowing four runs on nine hits with one strikeout and six walks. 

Jen O'hara (0-1) was charged with the loss, allowing eight runs, seven earned, on 11 hits with four strikeouts and three walks. 

Eikner led the Lady Statesmen offense, going 4-for-6 at the plate with four RBIs and a run scored. 

The Lady Statesmen will continue play at the Charger Chillout, hosted by the University of Alabama-Huntsville, on Saturday, Feb. 21, with a game against the University of Southern Indiana at 10:00 a.m. and a game against the University of Missouri-St. Louis at 2:30 p.m.