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CHARLESTON, Ill. -- After a trio of mid-week non-conference games, Eastern Illinois softball returns to Ohio Valley Conference home weekend action versus east division foes Belmont and Tennessee State in a pair of noon Saturday (April 6) and Sunday (April 7) doubleheaders, respectively.

The Panthers currently enjoy a 21-10 overall mark following a 2-1 record in mid-week play, which included a recent 8-0, five-inning rout of instate rival Southern Illinois.  In league action, meanwhile, EIU continues to lead the entire OVC off a 9-1 mark.

Live stats and an online radio broadcast of all four contests will be available via EIU's website at www.EIUpanthers.com.

CHARLESTON WEATHER OUTLOOK
According to weather.com, spring has finally arrived, as Saturday temps are expected to reach the low 70s, although there's a 30% chance of some afternoon showers in the Charleston area.  It looks like it will also be a windy day with wind gusts as high as 26 mph in the mix.

Temps will be about the same for Sunday, with only a 20% chance of precipitation under partly cloudy skies.

EASTERN BLANKS THE SALUKIS
Eastern used a total team performance to dominate visiting Southern Illinois in a five-inning, 8-0, rout this past Thursday afternoon, as the Panthers improved to 21-10 on the season.

Junior Hanna Mennenga threw a gem of a game, fanning 12 of the 19 Salukis she faced at the plate, which included a stretch of seven straight Ks through the first and third frames.  She  held the SIU bats to a low .059 batting average, allowing  just one hit and one walk, while upping her overall season record to 14-4.

The Panthers delivered six shots in the win, led by sophomore Hannah Cole's 2-for-3, two-RBI day at the plate.  Juniors Brooke Owens and Reynae Hutchinson tied sophomore Bailey O'Dell with their own RBIs.  Junior Carly Willert, meanwhile, blasted a solo home run over the center field fence to improve her career tally to 11 all-time, which now ties for seventh in the EIU record books.

IF PANTHERS SCORE FIRST, WATCH OUT
EIU owns a 12-0 mark when scoring in the opening frame, while enjoying a 19-2 season record when the Panthers score first.  Eastern is also 20-2 when out-hitting the opposition.

QUICK LOOK AT THE BRUINS
Belmont will come to town at 12-17 overall and 2-7 in league play, after recently earning a home split with Memphis last Tuesday.

Sophomore outfielder Kat Hollingsworth paces her squad with a .371 batting average, while also owning team-highs for runs (21), hits (36), doubles (12), homers (6), and RBI (29).  She ties Kirbie Ferrell and Heather Turner with four stolen bases.  Three additional Bruins are also hitting over .300 on the season as sophomore Amanda Criscione and Ferrell own .333 and .323 marks, respectively, while junior Kim Johnson owns a .316 clip.

Belmont has a full contingent of pitchers on their squad, as newcomer Carolyn Snodgress leads four other throwers with a 4-5 overall record, behind a 3.10 ERA, 36 strikeouts and 70-innings of work.  She has two complete games on the year and ties junior Brittanie Albright with nine starts. 

The Saturday meeting will be the first between the Panthers and Bruins, although the two teams were scheduled to play down in Nashville last spring, but a severe thunderstorm derailed the matchup.

SCOUTING THE TIGERs
Prior to playing a pair of games at SIU Edwardsville on Saturday afternoon, the Tigers of Tennessee State sit at 11-22 overall and 2-6 in league action.

Senior Jennifer Givens leads her squad with a .417 batting average, which includes team-highs in hits (40), total bases (43), slug % (.448), and stolen bases (16-for-18).  Newcomers Lindsey Burgess and Audrey Sensing sport nine an eight extra-base shots, respectively, with Burgess having nailed eight doubles while Sending owns 19 RBIs, both team-highs.

Junior Olivia Gamache (7-12 overall) and sophomore Shea Morris (4-11) have split time in the circle, with Morris owning a team-best 3.36 ERa behind 125-innings of work, while throwing 136 strikeouts, but allowing 60 earned runs.  Gamache has chipped in 43 Ks.

Panthers own a sizeable 34-11 all-time series advantage over the Tigers, including having won six straight.  However, TSU did manage to take 2-of-3 games here in Charleston back in 2009.

MENNENGA EARNS THIRD OVC PITCHING HONOR OF THE SEASON
EIU junior Hanna Mennenga nabbed her third career adidas® OVC 'Pitcher of the Week' honor this past Monday (April 1), as she helped lead Panther softball to a crucial three-game home sweep of Murray State last weekend.

The Gifford, Ill., native finished with a perfect 3-0 mark, behind a low 0.41 ERA and 21 total strikeouts in the series with the Racers.  Meanwhile, this past Thursday she registered her sixth shutout and ninth double-digit strikeout performance of 2013, as she retired 12 SIU batters via strikes.

Her seven-inning strikeout average of 11.26 currently ranks as one of the top marks in the entire nation.  She also currently owns top league ranks in 11 different stat categories, which covers both overall season and OVC-only action numbers.

UP NEXT
Following the weekend action, the Panthers will head north on I-57 (or Route 130) for a Tuesday (April 9) single game at Big Ten rival Illinois.  First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.

EIU will then prepare for a three-game OVC series at Southeast Missouri the following weekend.

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