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CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Eastern Illinois softball will look to snap a five-game losing streak as the Panthers host Ohio Valley Conference foe Austin Peay in a three-game weekend series.  The Saturday doubleheader has been moved up to an 11 am start, with a single game on tap for Sunday afternoon.  All games to be played at EIU's own Williams Field. 

WEEKEND SCHEDULE: The complete schedule for the weekend is as follows:

Saturday, April 24
• Austin Peay at EIU ... 11 am / 1 pm (new start times)
... at EIU's Williams Field

Sunday, April 25
• Austin Peay at EIU ... Noon
... at EIU's Williams Field

SATURDAY TIME CHANGE: Due to potentially inclement weather later in the afternoon, both the EIU and APSU squads have agreed to move the start time of the Saturday doubleheader up to an 11 am start for the first game, with the second game to follow at approximately 1 pm. 

PANTHER ACTION CARRIED VIA WEIU RADIO:  The entire weekend of play will be carried live via WEIU Radio.  Can be accessed online.

LOOKING BACK AT LAST WEEK: Despite enjoying an early 4-0 lead, the Eastern Illinois softball squad dropped a tough road game to regional rival Indiana State on Thursday as the Sycamores plated five consecutive runs to scratch past Eastern, 5-4. With the win, ISU continued the recent streak between the two I-70 rivals where the host team earns the win. 

The loss ruined a nice day at the plate by EIU junior Kiley Holtz, who finished 3-for-4 with an RBI. Senior Denee' Menzione and sophomore Ashley Anderton also hit well, going 2-for-3 at the plate with Anderton knocking in two runs off a key double.

ISU, which is EIU coach Schuette's alma mater (2001), now moves to within 24-33 in the all-time series between the two squads. Schuette, meanwhile, falls to 2-3 all-time as skipper of the Panther team.

THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR UPCOMING WEEKEND (via weather.com): The weather for the east central Illinois area this weekend looks rather uncertain, as rain is in the forecast all throughout the weekend, with a 60% chance on Saturday and 50% on Sunday. Also, afternoon storms are in the mix for both days with highs on Saturday projected at 74-degrees and a low of 53-degrees. Sunday calls for a high of just 64-degrees.

LEADING THE PANTHERS: Senior outfielder Denee' Menzione leads all EIU players with a .347 percentage mark behind her 35-for-101 plate mark. Her seven home runs not only lead the squad, but pushes her career tally to 26, where she continues to improve her EIU-record total. She has 13 extra-base hits, including six doubles, while earning 13 RBI and touching homeplate herself 23 times. She is 4-for-4 in stolen bases, including nabbing two in the Panthers' recent loss at ISU on Thursday.

Junior infielder Kiley Holtz has a .274 average, leading the Panthers with 23 RBI shots. Tied with two other Panthers this season with four home runs, while her 31 hits is second best this season.

Fellow senior Angie Danca has recorded the lone triple this season and is hitting .256 behind a 30-for-117 plate performance. She has nailed three twobaggers as well and has gone 8-for-9 in bag thefts.

Freshman Melise Brown leads the Panthers with 14 total stolen bases. The newcomer has played in the left field spot in all 38 games that she has played in this season. She has four extra-base hits on the year, including three doubles and a homerun, which came against arch rival SEMO on the road.

In the circle, junior Amber May leads a three-person bullpen with her 13-12 mark, off 167.1 innings of work, where she has 19 complete games, starting 24 times. In Ohio Valley Conference games this season she leads the league in shutouts (3), innings pitched (86.2), games started (11), and complete games (11). She has tied her career-high strikeout total of 10 Ks, which she earned last season, twice this year. She has 136 strikeouts under her belt and just 46 walks, allowing 137 hits and 55 of 77 runs earned. She has kept the opposition to a .216 batting average.

Team-wise, EIU leads their opponents in stolen bases with a 44 to 38 advantage, while also having more walks then the opposition, 106 to 76. Unfortunately the Panthers trail in batting average (.231 to .267), runs (136 to 170), hits (235 to 288), extra-base hits (55 to 77), RBI (121 to 149), slugging (.336 to .395), and fielding (.948 to .970).

The five-game losing streak is the most this season since dropping eight consecutive games in the middle of March. The Panthers did enjoy a season-long win streak of nine games during the last part of March as well.

SCOUTING THE LADY GOVS: Currently in ninth place in the league standings, the APSU squad comes to Charleston at 14-30 overall and 6-11 in OVC action.

Senior Brittany Williams leads all players with a .299 batting average, and is one of four players who have played every game this season. She leads with 21 RBI, 41 total hits, and 10 (of 12) stolen bases.

Junior Tiffany Smith has 11 twobaggers to lead all Lady Govs, plus has earned 56 total bases and 15 RBI numbers this year.

In the circle, freshman Morgan Brewer leads a four-person bullpen with her 10-9 overall record, off 119 innings pitched, where she has notched 83 strikeouts and 34 walks, while allowing 125 hits and 53 earned runs of 77 total. Senior Abby Mabry is 4-7 on the season with 40 Ks and 27 walks with 77 innings of work under her belt. The remaining two pitchers on the squad are a combined 0-14.

Team-wise, APSU trails their opponents in ever statistical category except total walks, where they have 114 as compared to 99 for the opposition. However, they are behind in batting (.228 to .300), hits (246 to 357), home runs (17 to 30), RBI (111 to 200), slugging (.323 to .434), strikeouts (279 to 176), stolen bases (37 to 45), and way ahead in errors (103 to 44).

The Panthers own a 33-10 all-time series advantage during the Division I seasons. Last year, APSU took two of three over EIU in Clarksville, Tenn. Coach Schuette is 7-4 against the Govs in the past four seasons as skipper of the Panthers.

EIU actually won 16 straight over the Lady Govs from 1997 to 2001, while APSU has won two consecutive over Eastern twice for their largest winning streak in the series history.

2009 SERIES HIGHLIGHTS: EIU lost two of three at Peay in 2009, dropping the first game of a doubleheader, 6-7, in ten innings. The Panthers rebounded to win the nightcap, 11-3 in just five innings of play. Unfortunately, the host Lady Govs picked up the win in the rubber game by a close 6-5 score.

EIU's Melinda Jackson finished with a .455 hitting average, going 5-for-11 with two doubles and a five RBI weekend. Hailee Hanna (.444), Kiley Holtz (.417) and Megan Nelson (.400) also hit well in the series, as Nelson and Hanna each added a two-bagger as well. EIU out-hit the home Lady Govs, 29-to-17, including six extra-base hits. APSU did win the stolen base contest, going 8-for-9, while the Panthers went 4-for-5. Both pitching squads recorded 12 strikeouts each.

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