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Tournament Series Stats (PDF)

MARTIN, Tenn. -- A walk-off RBI-single by sophomore Jen Saucier would give the Eastern Illinois softball squad a hard-fought ten-inning 5-4 win over Murray State in the second game of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, hosted by regular-season champion UT Martin.

EIU, the #4-Seed of the three-day tourney, was playing #5-Seed Racers for the fourth straight game in less than a week, following hosting MSU in a home series in Charleston last weekend, which the Racers took, 2-1. But the Panthers won the game that really mattered, moving the NCAA intercollegiate softball newcomer to the losers bracket.

Denee' Menzione led all Panthers with a 3-for-4, 2-RBI day at the plate, in addition to Saucier's 2-for-3 hitting, including the key game-winner. Angie Danca and Melise Brown went 2-for-5, with Melinda Jackson and Ashley Anderton adding a hit apiece.

Amber May earned her 16th win of the season off a complete game, coming just one strikeout of tying her career high of ten, as she retired nine and walked just three, scattering nine hits.

After a hour delay, due to the first game of the tourney going extra innings, the Panthers would get off to a rough start, as the Racers earned runners at second and third with zero outs. But junior ace thrower Amber May, who named to the All-OVC Second Team, got out of inning without any damage, thanks to her key pitches and back-up defense.

The key play was a double-play centerfield fly out relay to home as senior Angie Danca caught a hard hit ball at center and rocketed a throw to sophomore catcher Hailee Hanna to tag out the lead Racer runner attempting to touch home.

The Racers did manage to get on the scoreboard first, however, plating two in the top of the third. EIU would counter with two runs of their own in their half of the fifth, as Denee' Menzione ripped a hard shot to left center scoring freshman second baseman Ally Seplak and pinch-runner Marie Sorrentino, in for Hanna.

Neither team was able to plate another run until the sixth when MSU's Stephanie Mattocks, a former Lake Land College player in Mattoon, connected for a two-run bomb to left field with just one out. The Panthers would get out of the frame again, and counter with two scores of their own as freshman Melise Brown, who had been having a rough day at the plate, earned her first hit of the day by firing a double down the left field line. That key hit would plate sophomore Jen Saucier and Hanna to even the game yet again.

The game would go extra innings, the second consecutive game to the distance as the first game of the tourney went nine innings before #6-Seed Tennessee Tech pulled off an upset of #3-Seed Morehead State, 6-3, in nine innings.

The first chance the Panthers had a chance to win in walk-off fashion came in the bottom of the ninth as a nice hit from Danca brought Menzione, who had a key hit up the middle, around from second towards home. But a nice throw home by the MSU outfield would tag her at the plate, ending the inning.

After stranding a Racer runner in the top of the 10th, junior Melinda Jackson ripped a double over the center field's head with zero outs. That's when Saucier stepped up for the winning shot to right field scoring Jackson and ending the three-hour game with the 5-4, 10th inning win.

The win is the first tourney victory by a Panther squad since the 2006 campaign, with the past two units losing consecutive games, and evens the all-time series history with Murray to 2-2.

The Panthers will next play the #1-Seed and host UT Martin Skyhawks in the first day nightcap set to follow the third game of the tourney between #2-Seed Jacksonville State and TTU.