Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Game #17 Box:  PDF
Game #18 Box:  PDF
Two-Game Series Stats (PDF)

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Eastern Illinois and Middle Tennessee State battled for a two-game split in non-conference softball action on Wednesday afternoon, with the Panthers winning the 2-1 first game, before dropping the 3-2 nightcap.  Panthers move to 8-10 overall.

The first game win helped EIU head coach Kim Schuette tally her 200th career NCAA victory.  She now owns an eight-year 200-189-1 combined head coaching mark, while improving to 176-161-1 in her seventh season as a Division I skipper at EIU.

For the second straight day, freshman shortstop Bailey O'Dell led all Panthers with a .571 twinbill batting mark, while junior outfielder Melise Brown went 3-for-6 at the plate, which included ripping the game-winning RBI single in the first contest.

The sophomore pitching duo of Hanna Mennenga and Stephanie Maday were tagged with today's win and loss to move their respective records to 3-3 and 5-5 overall.  Mennenga's eight strikeouts in the 2-1 first game win set a new season high, while Maday added four Ks in her second-game loss.

Senior Maria Sorrentino notched her fourth stolen base of the year.

The Panthers earned the first game win as Brown nailed a shot to centerfield to plate Sorrentino in the top of the fourth to break a 1-1 tie.  Mennenga would then help EIU get out of a sticky bases loaded situation in the bottom of the seventh, ending the contest on her eighth strikeout.

MTSU enjoyed the early 1-0 lead following a solo homerun in the second inning before Eastern knotted the score in the seventh thanks to an RBI-single by sophomore infielder Carly Willert that brought home O'Dell.

The second game started tight and came down to the wire as both teams played to a scoreless tie until the fifth inning when a lead-off double by MTSU (7-10) eventally led to a run via an EIU throwing miscue.

With one out in the top of the seventh, senior Hayley Pieper drilled an RBI-double to left to score Willert from second base to even the game a one-all.  A two-out RBI-single by freshman Brooke Owens would plate Pieper to give Eastern the 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.

The host squad would immediately tie the game yet again thanks to a leadoff solo bomb to center, while the Blue Raiders would eventually earn the hard-fought win in walk-off fashion off an RBI-single.

Even with the split, the Panthers still maintain a sizeable advantage in the previous meetings with MTSU, as EIU now leads the all-time series, 10-4.

Eastern will next face Belmont in road action on Thursday, with first pitch of the afternoon doubleheader set for 4 p.m. in Nashville, Tenn.  The twinbill will be a nice preview of coming play between the two squads to begin next year as the Bruins will officially join the Ohio Valley Conference this fall.

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