Live Stats (via APSU website)

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Looking to snap a season-long 11-game losing streak, the Eastern Illinois softball squad will hit the road for a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Austin Peay this weekend. A scheduled 1 pm doubleheader is slated for Saturday, followed by a single game at noon on Sunday afternoon.

The Panthers, who will enter Clarksville, Tenn. with a 24-25 overall mark and 8-12 league record, are currently tied for sixth place in the OVC standings alongside Tennessee State (17-27/8-12). The Lady Govs, meanwhile, are currently last in the OVC with a 13-36 overall and 2-17 league mark.

Since TSU took two of three games over the Panthers earlier in the season, the Tigers currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Panthers for the final spot in the six-team conference tournament to take place next week. TSU, however, will travel to Southeast Missouri this weekend for their own three-game showdown, with SEMO riding a season-high 12-game winning streak that includes recently taking three games over the Panthers.

“Our kids are trying and playing hard and I believe giving it their all,” said EIU head coach Kim Schuette. “We just have to get through this right now and we have three games to do it. Are they important games? Sure they are important, but so are the other 20 or 50 on our schedule, depending on how you look at it.”

MENZIONE TIES SINGLE-SEASON HOMERUN TALLY: Despite dropping a tough 8-3 single game at SEMO this past Wednesday, one highlight for the Panthers was the two-run bomb by junior outfielder Denee' Menzione. Her dinger to left field tied the all-time single-season homerun total of eight, which is also held by former Panther standout Sandyn Short back in 2004. Menzione moved her career homerun total to 19, which is just four away from tying Sandyn Short's career record 23 four-baggers.

SCOUTING THE LADY GOVS: Despite a last-place conference standing, APSU has actually played some good softball down the stretch, losing nine games by a single run this year. They dropped a 3-2 game to league-leader JSU and while they were swept by SEMO, they lost by the slimmest of margins, 1-4, 5-6, and 5-7. Morehead State, meanwhile, took three close games, 6-5, 3-2, and 2-0, over the Govs. APSU is led on the field by Daniella Hoooper's 42 hits, 22 RBIs and a .280 batting average, which includes seven doubles, one triple, and a home run. Ashley Taylor has 20 runs scored off eight doubles and 28 hits. Ashley Alverson leads with four homers and a .234 average. Brittany Williams is 10-for-12 in stolen bases and has touched home plate 17 times. In the pitchers circle, Abby Mabry sports the best record out of the squad's three pitchers, at 5-10 overall. She has 55 strikeouts and 27 walks, but has allowed 93 hits and 31 earned runs, while owning a 2.52 ERA.

HOLTZ LEADS ALL PANTHERS: Sophomore infielder Kiley Holtz is the lone Panther currently hitting over .300. Her .307 batting average includes 46 total hits, 15 runs, 34 RBIs and 15 extra-base hits. Junior Angela Danca ties Holtz for total hits on the season at 46 and is 13-of-20 in stolen bases on the year. Freshman catcher Hailee Hanna is hitting at .297 and sports 33 hits. Menzione's eight home runs leads the squad, but she also has the most strikeouts of any EIU batter with 34. Junior Megan Nelson and senior Sarah Coppert are 19-of-24 and 18-of-21 in bag thefts this year, respectively. Freshman outfielder Hayley Pieper leads the squad in stolen base attempts at 11-for-12. Sophomore Amber May leads the Panther bullpen with a 17-16 record and 1.93 ERA. She has 180 strikeouts and 59 walks in her 229.0 innings pitched. Her 180 Ks currently rank second all-time for single-season marks, as does her 43 total appearances, which is also a second best mark in a season.

FIFTH & SIXTH INNINGS DOOM EIU: A quick look at the overall season stats shows that the Panthers lead the opposition in scoring in practically every inning, except most notably the fifth and sixth innings. The Panthers are down 17-35 and 10-32 for runs scored in those two respective innings, which are generally a crucial part of the game. Conversely, the Panthers seem to shine in the second frame, holding a 28-14 advantage in runs scored during the early part of the contest.

ELEVEN-GAME SLUMP SECOND LONGEST: Surprisingly, the currently 11-game losing streak by this season's Panther unit is not actually the longest in the program's Division I history. Back in 2003, the Panthers dropped 13 consecutive games in the middle of their season en route to a 14-34 overall finish.

COACH SCHUETTE ON THE WEEKEND: “We need to play relaxed and confident, while focusing on the things we can control -- like seeing the ball on offense and defense.  Plus we need hustle, focus and energy,” said Schuette. “Slumps can happen in baseball and softball, but you just have to grit your teeth and remember that you are a good team, a good player and are undefeated today. We need to play the game to the best of our ability, while also having some fun, and just see what happens. If we leave everything we've got to give out on the field this weekend, I will be pleased.”

OVC CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE HORIZON: If the Panthers are able to finish in the top six, they would participate in next week's OVC Championship on May 8-10. First-round action begins on Friday, followed by Saturday and Sunday play, with all games being hosted by the regular-season champion, Jacksonville State.  It is the second consecutive year that JSU has hosted the event as the Gamecocks won the tourney in 2008 to earn the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals.

... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID