Box Score

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Eastern Illinois dropped an eight-inning, 4-1, thriller to instate foe Illinois on Thursday evening as the Panthers fall to 20-17 on the year.

The Illini improve to 17-18 overall with the come-from-behind win, which also marks the 14th victory in the 15th meeting between the two nearby rivals.  The win also helped Illinois snap a seven-game drought.

A lead-off triple by junior Melise Brown by in the bottom of the fourth would lead to an early Panther lead thanks to an RBI fielders choice by sophomore Reynae Hutchinson.

But in the top of the sixth the Illini would knot the score with a solo bomb over the left field fence, which would eventually lead to the extra inning contest.

Unfortunately, the visitors would score three runs in their half of the eighth frame via an RBI double and two-RBI single as EIU could get no closer and drop their second straight game after previously enjoying a five-game win streak.

Up to that point, however, the Panthers actually were out-hitting the Big Ten power, while the steller pitching game by sophomore Stephanie Maday kept Illinois off kilter for most of the game.

Maday would finish with ten strikeouts and just three walks in the complete game loss, as she fell to 11-9 on the season.  She also tied sophomore Ashleigh Westover with four assists on the day as the Panther defense backed up Maday very well.

Sophomore Carly Willert joined Brown with a triple in the game, as both squads ended up with six hits.  EIU would end up stranding six runners as compared to four for the Illini.

Junior Abby Wood led all Panthers with a 2-for-3 day at the plate, while sophomore Bailey O'Dell, and junior Ally Seplak also picked up a hit.

The Panthers, who are currently third in the league standings, will continue their homestand this weekend, with a key three-game Ohio Valley Conference series versus Tennessee Tech.  A 1 p.m. twinbill is set for Saturday, followed by a noon single-game on Sunday.

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