Game #1 Box:  PDF | HTM
Game #2 Box:  PDF | HTM
2-Game Series Stats:  PDF

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The Eastern Illinois softball squad delivered the hits in a crucial twinbill sweep at Southeast Missouri on Wednesday, 3-0 & 10-2 (6), as the squad recorded seven home runs, including a potential new school-record six bombs in the nightcap rout.

The sweep moved the Panthers to 15-11 on the year and a perfect 7-0 in Ohio Valley Conference action, while the current nine-game winning streak is just one victory shy of tying the school mark for consecutive wins.

The six homers in game two is a new single-game high during EIU skipper Kim Schuette's Panther tenure and may also be a new OVC mark as well.

In the 3-0 game one win, sophomore Jen Saucier ripped a two-run bomb to left field after the Panthers had previously plated a run off a SEMO miscue.  Junior thrower Amber May pitched the complete game shutout, retiring seven Redhawk batters off strikes and registering zero walks while scattering three hits.  The win improved the current OVC 'Pitcher of the Week' to 9-7 on the year.

In the nightcap, six different EIU players launched a homer, led by senior Denee' Menzione's new school-record 24th career dinger.

Also nailing a base clearer in the rout was junior Melinda Jackson, while both sophomore Hailee Hanna and freshman Abby Wood each earned a two-RBI homer apiece.  Fellow newcomer Melise Brown secured her first career bomb and Saucier added a second homer, her third all-time, on the day.

Newcomer Natalie Wunderlich earned her fifth win of the year in game two as she pitched the full six innings, facing 29 batters and fanning SEMO's 11 hits and allowing just two runs while striking out and walking one batter apiece.

In the opener, the home squad (10-18/1-6) threatened first in the bottom of the first, as SEMO had a runner at third with just one out, but Amber May got out of the inning as the Panther defense helped her retire the next two Redhawk batters.

The Panthers then scored first as Brown, who singled, stole consecutive bases and then touched home via an error by the SEMO shortstop.  After Hanna registered her own single, Jen Saucier delivered a bomb to left field, which was her second career homer at the time.

That would be all the scoring that EIU would need as the Panthers were able to strand three more Redhawk runners.

In the wild second game, Eastern plated four runs in the second inning as Brown's first homer in a Panther uniform came with one out.  Senior Megan Nelson got on base via a single and then proceeded to steal second.  That's when Hanna stepped up to rip her third homer of the year, and sixth all-time, as she also brought home Nelson.  Then Saucier connected for her second straight homer in as many games, as her solo bomb upped her all-time homer number to three.

SEMO would finally get on the scoreboard for the first time all day, bringing home two runs via five hits.

The Panthers would add two more runs in their half of the fifth frame as Menzione would reset the EIU career homer mark with her 24th all-time dinger, and fifth of the season, as she overtook the all-time lead over from Panther standout Sandyn Short.  

Senior outfielder Angie Danca would follow with a single and then a sac bunt from Melinda Jackson would move Danca to second.  Danca would then come home via an RBI single from reigning OVC 'Player of the Week' Kiley Holtz.  

Eastern would blow the game out in the sixth inning as Saucier would rip a one-out double down the left field line, which was followed by a homer by freshman Abby Wood, which was the second career bomb of the newcomer after previously nailing a dinger versus TTU last weekend.

Menzione would continue the Panther offensive onslaught with her own two-bagger and then move to third base off a wild pitch from the SEMO pitcher.  Sophomore pinch hitter Amanda Bilina would then plate Menzione via her sac fly to left field.  Jackson then stepped up and connected for her seventh career homerun with the solo bomb to finish the Panther scoring.

For the day, Danca, Saucier, Brown and Hanna all went 3-for-6 at the plate, while Saucier led all Panthers with a three RBI, two homer and two-bagger day.  Danca, meanwhile, nailed her fourth all-time triple in the first game win while fellow senior Menzione finished 3-for-8.

The Panthers completely dominated the Redhawks in hits (21 to 14), batting (.356 to .280), home runs (seven to zero), slug % (.780 to .300), and total bases (46 to 15).  Only six Eastern hitters struck out in the two games and earned no walks, as the Panthers converted 4-of-5 stolen bases, including a perfect 3-for-3 theft performance by freshman Melise Brown.  

The two-game sweep of SEMO in Cape Girardeau marks the first time since 2002 that a Panther squad has won both road games at the Redhawk's home field.

EIU will continue an OVC road swing this coming weekend, traveling to Morehead State for a three-game series, with a doubleheader set for Friday and a single-game on tap for Saturday.

… for more info, contact Bart Rettberg