Photo Gallery (by Sandy King)

Eastern Illinois jumped out early on Sunday afternoon as the Panther softball team won its 15th straight game with a 7-4 win over Western Illinois to sweep the weekend series at Williams Field.
 
EIU improved to 20-16 overall, 12-0 in the OVC as they now have posted their best conference start in school history.  WIU fell to 8-20 overall, 3-8 in the OVC.
 
For the third straight game WIU scored first as the Leathernecks scored an unearned run against EIU starter Bryanna French (7-4), the first of four unearned on the day against the senior.
 
After a solid outing yesterday against the Panthers offense, WIU starter Libby Spaulding (6-9) surrendered five runs to EIU in the first inning on Sunday.  Sophia Olman started the scoring with a bases loaded walk followed by back-to-back two-run doubles by Brooklyn Groppel and Marybeth Dyson.
 
EIU tacked on two more runs in the second inning with a two double by Sophia Olman as she drove in three for the Panthers in the game extending EIU's lead to 7-1.
 
Western Illinois scored one run in the fourth taking advantage of an EIU fielding error and then two additional unearned runs in the fifth as the Panthers committed four errors in the game.  Ruby Tarr and Angie Ortiz both drove in Leatherneck runs in the inning.
 
Karlie McKenzie closed the sixth and seventh innings for EIU to pick up her first save of the season.  Lizzie Stiverson and Groppel both had two hits to lead EIU.
 
Payton Brown and Sophia Sanchez had two hits each for WIU.