The number one was the key in Eastern’s softball team’s doubleheader with Southeast Missouri Tuesday.

Both games were decided by one run, both teams won one game and the Panthers (6-23, 1-5) got their first Ohio Valley Conference win by taking the first game 1-0. Senior catcher Kristin Darnell also hit the first home run of her life (a solo shot to left).

“(Hitting a home run) was my one goal this year,” Darnell said.

Darnell hit the home run over the left field fence in the bottom of the fourth inning of the second game, which Eastern lost 7-6.

Following a 1-0 win in the first game, Eastern scored in the bottom of the first in the second game.

Darnell led off with a walk and advanced to second when freshman left fielder Cassandra North walked. Both advanced on a passed ball by senior SEMO (8-19, 4-3) catcher Alicia Loucks, and Darnell scored on an error by freshman shortstop Kate Groden.

Eastern’s lead did not last long. SEMO tied the game in the second and scored three runs in both the third and fourth innings.

The Otahkians scored four runs off junior starting pitcher Kari Hagerty, but only one was earned because of a pair of errors by junior shortstop Mandy Lindwall.

Freshman Ashley Condon came in for Hagerty in the fourth, giving up three earned runs before pitching a scoreless fifth.

The Panthers didn’t let the Otahkians run away with the lead. Trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the third, the Panthers scored two runs on a pair of singles by Hagerty and senior right fielder Carrie Ninness, a walk to sophomore centerfielder Jessica Irps and an error by SEMO second baseman Brooke Nett.

Darnell homered in the fourth to make the score 7-4.

The Panthers rallied in the fifth. Irps singled with one out and advanced on a passed ball. Senior designated player Jen Green singled to right, and junior second baseman Bridget Nichols doubled a line drive into left-center field, scoring both and advanced to third on the throw home. But Nichols was picked off at third base during the next at-bat by SEMO’s catcher.

The pick off was just one of the base-running mistakes Eastern made Wednesday.

“What do you say to a kid that just got picked off?” Eastern head coach Lloydene Searle said. “She (Nichols) just said ‘coach that’s my mistake.'”

Eastern was trailing by one run and brought its ace pitcher Kristen Becker, who pitched a complete game shutout in the first game, for the final two innings.

Becker worked two more innings of scoreless ball. She walked one batter but didn’t allow a single hit.

SEMO also brought in a new pitcher for the final two innings of the game, freshman Melissa Van Velkinburgh.

Eastern threatened Van Velkinburgh in the sixth inning when Darnell and Hagerty singled. But Darnell made the final out of the inning when she tried to reach third on Hagerty’s single.

In the seventh, the Panthers tried to rally. With two outs, Ninness hit a single to bring up Green, who led the team with a .302 average, four home runs and 24 RBIs last year. Green hit a hard grounder to second and was thrown out at first to end the game.

“It’s always nice to have Green up in those late situations,” Darnell said. “She hit the ball hard and she always does.”

Searle was happy to get the first conference win of the season.

“Today I thought we had two pretty good games,” Searle said. “We are finally getting rewarded for our hard work. We got our first OVC win and that’s what I really wanted to do today.”

SEMO head coach Lana Richmond was impressed with Becker’s nine shutout innings of work.

“She (Becker) definitely got the job done,” Richmond said. “I was disappointed in our offensive output, but the main thing was she stayed ahead of the hitters, and when she needed a strike, she hit her spot.”

Eastern’s only run in the first game came in the first inning. Darnell started the inning with a single and scored a single by North.