Game 1 Boxscore (PDF) | Game 2 Boxscore (PDF) | Photo Gallery (Sandy King)

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Eastern Illinois lost consecutive one-run home games to visiting Butler on Tuesday (April 22) afternoon, as the Panthers fell, 1-0 and 6-5, to snap a season-best 11-game win streak.

Eastern moves to 34-13 overall, while the Bulldogs improve to 21-24 and have now won three straight games over the Panthers in the all-time series.

Sophomore April Markowski and freshman Amber Toenyes led the offense for EIU with respective .400 bats (2-for-5), with Toenyes earning an RBI in the twinbill.  Senior Carly Willert and junior Hannah Cole also added a pair of hits on the day as Willert added another Panther RBI, while Cole drilled a triple and secured a pair of RBIs of her own.

EIU was limited to a low .192 bat on the day, as the visiting Bulldogs out-hit the Panthers off a .255 mark, while leading in total runs (seven-to-five), hits (14-to-10), RBI (six-to-four), and strikeouts thrown (16-to-nine).  Both squads secured three stolen bases, while Eastern commited one more error (two-to-one) then the Bulldogs.

In the 1-0 first game loss, EIU actually out-hit the Indy squad, three-to-one, but also committed an error, as the Bulldogs earned their score off a walk-up triple and ground-out RBI.

The Panthers had several opportunities, including stranding two of their four total runners on base in the fifth frame.  Junior Bailey O'Dell led the way with a double in the loss, while markowski added her own single.

Butler's Kristin Gutierrez battled EIU senior Stephanie Maday in the circle for most of the game, as the visiting pitcher registered nine strikeouts to seven for Maday.  Maday also saw an inning of play in the nightcap as well, holding the Butler bats to a low .077 batting mark and surrendering just two hits, two walks and a single run.

In the nightcap, after Butler took the early 1-0 lead in the first, the Panthers responded with three runs of their own to hold the lead, but the Bulldogs would tack on a score in the second, two runs in the fourth and additional single scores in the fifth and sixth innings for the win.

The Panthers would claw to within a run in the sixth with a pair of scores, but would leave the tying run on board in the bottom of the seventh with a strikeout at the plate.

Butler erupted for 13 hits in the second game win, including five doubles.  Cole countered with her own triple as she delivered a pair of RBI shots, while Willert added her two singles as well.  

Hutchinson, O'Dell and Markowski all secured a stolen base in the loss, as the Panther defense also turned a pair of double plays.  Butler actually stranded seven baserunners to six for the Panthers.

Freshman Hannah Rachor was tagged for the loss, as she fanned a pair of BU batters, while nearby Mattoon native Kacy Starwalt earned her first win of the season for the Bulldogs with her own two Ks.

Panthers will return to Ohio Valley Conference action as EIU entertains fellow West Division rival Austin Peay in a three-game weekend series, starting with a Saturday twinbill at 1 p.m.  Prior to the first pitch EIU will honor eight seniors for their long-time contributions to the Panther softball program.

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