EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE softball closed out the weekend with a split against Eastern Kentucky at Cougar Field.

SIUE won the opener 2-0 and dropped the nightcap 8-5. That puts SIUE's Ohio Valley Conference record at 9-3 with a 15-18 record overall. EKU is now 6-4 in the OVC and 18-14 overall.

Haley Chambers earned a win and a loss Sunday, throwing 13 innings for the Cougars. The opener was a three-hit shutout for the sophomore left-hander.

"She threw very well the first game and threw well in the second game," said SIUE Head Coach Sandy Montgomery. "This is the first time we have gone back to back with her. I think she lost a little bit at the end, but we still had the game. We just made some crucial mental mistakes and did not pay attention to details at the end defensively. We'll bounce back. Sometimes those things happen for a reason. Hopefully, it will make us a little stronger for the future."

In game one, freshman Allison Smiley provided the eventual game-winning hit. Her third-inning single drove home Brittany Toney who had opened the inning with a blistering double to right field.

"Smiley is clutch," said Montgomery. "She is a freshman but does not play like a freshman. She is one of the most game-savvy players we have on the team. I can always count on her to have a quality at-bat."

Toney added a solo home run in the fifth inning, her first of the season, to give the Cougars some extra breathing room.

Chambers outdueled Leanna Pittsenbarger in the opening game. Chambers struck out six and yielded just one hit until the seventh inning. Pittsenbarger gave up four hits and fanned seven.

SIUE was in control of game two until the Colonels rallied for five runs in the top of the seventh. A solo home run by Sarah Fobbs, her seventh of the season, closed out the scoring.

"We let one get away, and you can never be happy after that," said Montgomery.

The Cougars finished with nine hits in the second game, including two each from Chelsea Yankolovich, Smiley, and Alex McDavid. Both of Smiley's hits resulted in RBIs for the Cougars as she took the team lead in RBIs with 16.

Alex Sallberg, who came in relief of starter Hayley Flynn, collected her second win of the season for EKU. Pittsenbarger picked up a save with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh inning on a long fly ball to center field off the bat of Rachel Coonrod.

SIUE has a busy week ahead beginning with a road contest Wednesday at Saint Louis. On Thursday, SIUE faces Bradley in a 4 p.m. game at Cougar Field. The OVC season continues Saturday and Sunday with a three-game series against Southeast Missouri at home.

"We'll take tomorrow off like we always do, practice on Tuesday, and hopefully bounce back on Wednesday," said Montgomery. "We need to use these midweek games to get back on track and clean some things up."