MARTIN, Tenn. – Eastern Illinois softball earned an Ohio Valley Conference road doubleheader split at UT Martin on Saturday (April 11) as the Panthers fell, 8-4, in the opener before freshman Jessica Wireman countered with her first collegiate no-hitter in EIU's 3-0 nightcap win.

The Panthers move to 13-21 overall and an even 8-8 in league play, while UTM now sport respective 21-17 and 9-6 marks.

The two league foes will complete the three-game weekend series tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon, with first pitch set for 1 p.m.

Wireman pitched a gem of a game in the second game shutout, retiring four Skyhawks via strikes and allowing four walks, including a pair in the bottom of the seventh to make things interesting.

The no-hitter is the first by the Panthers since former EIU standout Stephanie Maday (2011-14) threw a 14-0, five-inning performance last spring versus Morehead State.

With the game scoreless through five innings, senior Bailey O'Dell drilled a one-out home run over the center field fence, which also plated juniors April Markowski and Haylee Beck.  Fellow senior Hannah Cole also finished with a 2-for-3 batting mark in the game.

The EIU defense also had Wireman's back as the Panthers retired ten Skyhawks via the ground out and six flyouts, while committing just one miscue.

The complete game win helps Wireman improve to 6-10 overall as she also nabs her second shutout of the season.

In the first game loss, EIU jumped out to 3-0 lead in the top off the first Beck drilled her second career home run thru the left side, which also scored sophomores Amber Toenyes and Hannah Rachor.  Yet the host squad countered with their own grand slam to take a 4-3 advantage in their half of the frame.

An RBI single by Markowski, which plated junior Katie Watson, helped Eastern even the game at 4-all in the top of the fourth inning, but the Skyhawks would score four runs over the next three innings to pull away from Eastern for the 8-4 victory.

Cole went 3-for-4 in the first game loss, followed by Beck's 2-for-3 plate performance and three RBI game.  Markowski added two hits while O'Dell nailed a double.

Freshman starting pitcher Michelle Rogers dropped to 6-10 overall following the loss, behind three innings of work as she struck out one Skyhawk, and walked two.   Wireman also came in relief, pitching three innings in the first game.

Team-wise EIU actually out-hit the hosts (10-to-9), yet also stranded seven runners on base, compared to five for UTM.

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