Boxscore (PDF)

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Eastern Illinois softball completed the three-game series sweep of Ohio Valley Conference West Division rival UT Martin on Sunday (April), as the Panthers blanked the Skyhawks, 4-0, on a blustery day at Williams Field.

Having now won seven consecutive games, the Panthers improve to 30-11 overall and 10-4 in league action, while the Skyhawks drop to 22-19-1 and 9-6.

Junior Bailey O'Dell led the Panther offense with a pair of RBI shots, which included an unofficial inside-the-park homerun and sac fly RBI.

With a scoreless game heading to the bottom of the fourth, O'Dell delivered a two-out bloop single to centerfield, which would score senior pinch-runner Kaylie Pruett from second.  After advancing to second on the throw, the UTM catcher would commit consecutive fielding and throwing errors to allow O'Dell to scamper home for the second run and the 2-0 lead.

Then in the fifth frame, sophomore Jennette Isaac blasted a walk-up triple to right center, before scoring off a wild pitch to give the Panthers the 3-0 advantage.  O'Dell's one-out sac fly RBI then followed in the sixth inning, which helped pinch-runner/outfielder Haylee Beck easily touch home plate from third.

Stephanie Maday earned the complete game win in the circle, as the senior nabbed her sixth shutout of the year and 20th all-time.  She fanned two batters, allowed only one walk and stranded five UTM base runners, while allowing only a single hit.

Isaac went 2-3 at the plate in the win, while junior Hannah Cole, senior Reynae Hutchinson and freshman Amber Toenyes all collected a hit as well.  Pruett added to her season stolen base tally with her seventh theft of the season.

With the sweep, the Panthers improve the series lead over the Skyhawks to 33--26 all-time, as UTM has not won at Williams Field since the 2007 campaign.

For the weekend series, EIU dominated in hitting (.234-to-.058), runs (six-to-zero), hits (15-to-four), RBI (four-to-zero), slug % (.328-to-.072), and strikeouts thrown (22-to-six).  UTM did hold the advantage in doubles (one-to-zero), stolen bases (three-to-two), and runners left-on-base (ten-to-14), as both squads combined for six total errors.

EIU will now prepare for a pair of road league twinbills this coming Friday and Saturday, as the Panthers will face OVC East Division foes Belmont and Tennessee State, respectively.

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