Game 1 Boxscore (PDF) | Game 2 Boxscore (PDF)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Eastern Illinois extended their season-high win streak to 11 straight on Saturday (April 19) afternoon, as the Panthers swept Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee State in a pair of shutouts, 1-0 and 2-0, in Nashville, Tenn.

The sweep moves EIU to 34-11 and 14-4 in league play, while the Tigers fall to 16-34/4-16 on the season.

Sophomore outfielder Jennette Isaac paced all Panthers with a 3-for-7 (.429) day at the plate, joining fellow sophomore Haylee Beck and junior Hannah Cole with a run.

Seniors Brooke Owens and Carly Willert added a pair of hits, while classmate Reynae Hutchinson and junior Bailey O'Dell notched respective RBI shots.

The senior duo of Hanna Mennenga and Stephanie Maday teamed up for respective shutout wins in the circle.  The two combined for 16 strikeouts with Mennenga notching nine in the first game win and Maday adding seven Ks of her own,while limiting the TSU bats to a low .167 mark in the nightcap.

The EIU pitching staff has now combined for 15 shutouts on the season.

In the opener, EIU needed just one run in the top of the first inning to secure the win, as Hutchinson delivered a one-out RBI-shot to plate Isaac, who joined Willert with respective singles earlier in the frame.

Mennenga would settle in for the eventual win, striking out eight TSU batters over the next three innings before stranding three Tiger base runners in the shutout.  She ups her season tally to 18-4 overall and 7-2 in OVC action.

Owens led the EIU bats in the opener off a 2-for-3 plate performances.

Another pitching duel followed in the nightcap as neither squad were able to muster a run thru five full innings, with EIU unable to take advantage of a bases-loaded scenario in the first inning and stranding six total base runners.

However, the Panthers would eventually take the lead in the top of the sixth as a TSU error helped Cole advance to second.  An RBI shot to center field by O'Dell allowed Cole to scamper home, touching the plate under the tag attempt by the TSU catcher.

A couple additional Tiger miscues in the seventh helped the Panthers add to their lead as Beck came around to score off an untimely fielding error.

Maday held on for the win in the circle to improve to 15-5 overall and tie Mennenga with her own 7-2 league tally.

Isaac finished with a 2-for-3 mark in the nightcap.

Team-wise, neither squad hit particularly well, with TSU holding a slight .191-to.182 batting advantage, while EIU finished with one more hit (10-to-nine) and total base (11-to-10) than the Tigers.  The game came down to errors, as Eastern won that stat mark, two-to-five.

Panthers will return to action in a mid-week twinbill versus I-70 rival Butler this coming Tuesday (April 22), with first pitch set for 3 p.m. at Williams Field

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