EAST PEORIA, Ill.- Drury defeated Illinois Springfield 1-0 but were eliminated from the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament after a 7-4 loss to Truman State at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Illinois on Saturday.
 
The Panthers ended their tournament run with a 36-23 record while Truman State advanced with a 31-16 mark and Illinois Springfield fell to 27-24.  
 
Kasey Cazares (15-6) struck out nine batters and fired a one-hit shutout as the Panthers fought off elimination against Illinois Springfield in their first game of the day. Cazares worked all seven innings and allowed just a third-inning single while walking only two.
 
She worked out of trouble in the third with the score still 0-0 as Addison Bryant led off the frame reaching base on an error followed by Kendra Peifer's single. Cazares would get a ground ball, a fly out, and she struck out Morgan Edwards to end the inning.
 
The Panthers finally broke the scoreless tie in the sixth. Kinzy Mathis and Megan Holmes both singled to start the inning, and Hailly Greenough drew a one-out walk to load the bases. Devin Hale's fly ball to left field scored Mathis from third base for the only run of the game.
 
"Kasey was phenomenal," said Drury head coach Jerry Breaux. "It was probably her best outing of the season. She knows how to pitch in pressure situations…she stepped up when we needed her to, and she gave us a gem."
 
Jaycee Craver (14-15) took the loss for Illinois Springfield.
 
Drury was knocked out of the tournament in their second game of the day in a 7-4 loss to Truman State.
 
The Bulldogs manufactured a run in the first inning as Crista Reisinger, this year's GLVC Player of the Year, got an infield single, stole second, advanced to third on a ground ball, then scored on a run-down between third and home.
 
Truman State scratched out another run in the second, then scored four times in the third taking advantage of three walks, and an error.
 
Trailing 7-0, Drury mounted a rally scoring a run in the sixth, then three more in the top of the seventh. The Panthers forced Truman State starter Alyssa Hajduk (16-5) back into the game after she was lifted in the fifth as Drury put the tying run on base with one out. Hajduk would end the game with a pop up to the shortstop and a fly ball to centerfield.
 
"This is the way we've been all year," said Breaux. "This is such a resilient team...they never, ever stop and quit. We were one swing away at the end from either tying or taking the lead."
 
Kinzy Mathis went 2 for 2 with a double and a run scored for Drury while Megan Holmes was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.
 
Drury's 2-2 record in the GLVC tournament marked their deepest postseason run in program history. Prior to this season, the Panthers had never won a conference tournament game going 0-4 in two appearances. Drury's 36 wins also matched the most victories in a season in the program's 12-year history.
 
"This experience was a breakthrough for the program," added Breaux. "If this team is to be fortunate enough to continue their season in a regional tournament, this definitely has given them a taste of what a postseason tournament fight is. If a regional tournament doesn't work out for us, then this will carry over to next year for sure."
 
The NCAA will announce the regional brackets on Monday in their selection show as they reveal this year's national tournament bracket.
 
 
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