Three-Game Series Stats (PDF)

MARTIN, Tenn. – Eastern Illinois lost the Ohio Valley Conference series finale at regular-season champ UT Martin on Sunday by a 5-4 score despite a late-game Panther rally.  EIU falls to 25-24 overall and 15-10 in league play.

Junior catcher Abby Wood led the Panther offense with a perfect 2-for-2 day at the plate, which included a deep solo home run.

Senior Hayley Pieper; juniors Melise Brown and Ally Seplak; and sophomores Carly Willert and Ashleigh Westover also collected a hit in the loss.

Sophomore Stephanie Maday was tagged for the loss to fall to 15-13 overall behind four-innings of work, where she joined reliever Hanna Mennenga with two strikeouts apiece.

With the host Skyhawks (35-17/22-4) enjoying a 3-0 lead, the Panthers finally got on board with Wood's solo bomb over the centerfield fence in the top of the fifth.  Unfortunately the home team added two more runs in their half of the fifth frame.

But Eastern added three runs over the course of the sixth and seventh innings as Brown came home off a fielder's choice RBI off the bat of Westover, followed by a another RBI base hit by Wood to score Willert in the sixth.  Meanwhile, Brown added her own RBI in the seventh as her shot to right center plated pinch hitter Kaylie Pruett.

Team-wise, both squads registered seven hits and an error, with EIU stranding six base runners to nine for UTM.  Pieper added the lone EIU stolen base in the loss.

Eastern will finish up the regular-season next Saturday-Sunday, hosting Austin Peay who recently earned a surprising weekend sweep of league-power JSU.

A 1 p.m. twinbill on Saturday will be followed by a noon Sunday game which will feature pre-game recognition of six graduating seniors.

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