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NORMAL, Ala. -- The Eastern Illinois softball offense hit past Savannah State and Alabama A&M by respective scores of 8-3 and 8-0 (5) on Tuesday afternoon to open mid-week non-conference action.  The twinbill sweep ups the Panther record to 7-9 overall.

Eastern combined for 16 runs and 19 hits on the day, with eight shots coming versus Savannah State and eleven, including a pair of homers, in the mercy-rule victory over Alabama A&M.

Freshman shortstop Bailey O'Dell had a steller day at the plate going 4-for-5 for a combined .800 batting average behind two doubles and her first career grand slam.  She tallied five RBI and nine total bases for a 1.800 slug %, with zero walks or strikeouts and the addition of one hit-by-pitch.  She also led all players with seven assists.

Ten additional Panthers also earned at least one hit in the twinbill as newcomer Brooke Owens blasting a two-run bomb, junior Melise Brown ripped a triple, while sophomores Carly Willert and Morgan Biel and senior Hailee Hanna each collected a double.

Freshman Hanna Mennenga and sophomore Stephanie Maday both earned shutout victories versus Savannah State and 'Bama A&M, respectively, in the circle.  The twosome combined for seven strikeouts and five walks as Mennenga collected a no-hitter off 2.1 innings of work.

Biel and Maria Sorrentino each secured a stolen base on the day, while defensively the Panthers committed just one error.

In the opener versus Savannah State (9-12), the Panthers plated three runs in the third as Brown's triple first brought home Ashleigh Westover and O'Dell following their respective single and double.  An RBI-single by Reynae Hutchinson would score Brown with zero outs on the scoreboard.

The Lady Tigers would counter with a run in each half of their third, fourth and fifth frames to knot the score at three-all.

But EIU would move ahead with four runs in the top of the sixth, first thanks to an error by the Tigers, followed by consecutive RBI-doubles by Biel and Westover, before O'Dell's single plated Willert.

Eastern added a security score in the top of the seventh as Brown scampered home thanks to an sacrifice RBI fly by Hutchinson.

In the afternoon finale versus the host Bulldogs (3-9), EIU would need just two innings of offense to earn the squad's first five-inning, run-rule victory of the season.

In the top of the first frame, an Owens sac fly would score O'Dell from third.  After getting out of a bases-loaded situation by the Bulldogs in the bottom of the first, the Panthers would erupt for seven runs in the next frame.

Westover reached on an error, Hanna walked and Sorrentino's bunt single would load the bases for O'Dell's heroics. The team hitting leader stepped up and drilled a shot over the fence to empty the bases and give the shortstop the first grand slam of her career and the first by the Panthers this season.

Following a two-out base-hit by senior Hayley Pieper, Owens ripped her first collegiate homer as EIU enjoyed the 7-0 lead, but Eastern had one more run up their sleeve as Ally Seplak and Westover each singled prior to Hanna nailed an RBI double to plate Seplak.

Eastern will next travel to Middle Tennessee State for a doubleheader in Murfreesboro, Tenn. tomorrow afternoon.  First pitch is set for 1 p.m.  Then on Thursday, the Panthers will head to Nashville to play two games at future Ohio Valley Conference rival Belmont at 4 p.m.

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