MARTIN, Tenn. – No. 2-Eastern Illinois lost 7-5 to #3-Jacksonville State to end the season in the loser's bracket of the Ohio Valley Conference Championship.  Panthers end the 2012 campaign at 28-26 overall.

Bailey O'Dell led EIU offensive with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, while Melise Brown went 2-for-4 with a two-RBI home run and an addition RBI.  Ashleigh Westover and senior Hailee Hanna also added an RBI in the tough loss.

For her outstanding tourney play, Brown will represent the Panther squad on the All-Tournament squad, marking the first such honor for the junior outfielder.

Sophomore Stephanie Maday had a nice day in the circle with seven strikeouts to best her JSU counterpart in the pitching duel.  Maday ends the year at 17-15 overall.

As the designated visiting squad, JSU would grab the early 1-0 lead off a walk-up solo homer to right center in the top of the first, but the Panther defense stepped up for a pair of outs while Maday earned her first strikeout to end the JSU threat.

Bailey O'Dell added to her team and OVC-leading doubles tally with a shot to left to give EIU the early threat with zero outs in the Panther half of the first.  With one down, Ashleigh Westover would drill a hard-hit RBI shot to right field which led to two bases as the outfielder bobbled the ball and allowed O'Dell to scamper home and tie the game.

JSU threatened again in the top of the third with a single and walk, followed by a sac bunt and unintentional, intentional walk to give the Gamecocks bases loaded with one out.  A great defensive grab by Melise Brown in the outfield would be followed by a JSU single to shortstop to give JSU the 2-1 lead, yet EIU would get out of the threat once again off a fielder's choice put-up by O'Dell to Westover at third.

Westover earned a lead-off walk in the bottom of the fourth for the Panthers, but JSU would get out of the inning with a pop-up, strikeout and groundout to strand the EIU third baseman at first.

JSU immediately threatened yet again in the fifth with consecutive hits to the leftside, leading to an RBI shot to give the Gamecocks the 3-1 lead with zero outs and runners and in scoring position.  That would be followed by a bases-clearing three-run homer to up the JSU lead to 6-1.

In the bottom of the fifth, O'Dell blasted her second double of the game, this time with two-out to set-up Brown's RBI single to left to pull Eastern to within 6-2.

The Gamecocks would add an additional two-out solo homer to left field to up the JSU lead to 7-2 in the sixth frame.

In EIU's half of the sixth, Westover got things going with a walk-up single through the left-side, followed by a base hit up the gut by designated hitter Ashley Anderton.  Hanna then earned an RBI-single through the left-side to bring home Westover.  The run would pull EIU to within 7-3 of the Gamecocks.

But JSU would continue to threaten in their half of the seventh loading bases with zero outs via a walk in between a pair of singles.  Yet again the Panther defense would come through earning consecutive fielder choice outs at home and a pop-up to Westover to strand all three runners.

In the final of the inning, with the Panthers in the top of their batting order, O'Dell earned her third hit of the day with a walk-up shot to center, followed by a two-run homer by Brown over the right centerfield fence to pull EIU to within 7-5 against the JSU relief pitcher.

That would force the Gamecocks to bring back the starter Harbin in the circle with zero outs and EIU threatened down just two runs.  JSU would get the win with consecutive outs to move onto in the losers bracket and face #4-Murray State later in the day.

Eastern ends a fine season at 28-26 after making their fifth consecutive appearance in the OVC championship and finishing in second place after earning the regular-season title last spring.

The Panthers return 14 letterwinners from this squad for the upcoming season.

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