A pair of Eastern infielders were honored as Ohio Valley Conference Players of the Week.

Eastern second baseman Chris Uhle was named OVC Player of the Week for his efforts in the Panthers’ four wins in their five games last week.

Infielder Kristin Lovering won the same honor after hitting 8-for-13 on the week with three home runs.

Uhle received his first career OVC award for batting .565 (13-23) for the week while hitting three home runs and three doubles to go with 16 runs scored and seven RBIs. Uhle also contributed on the basepath by stealing 3-of-3 bases and also went errorless through the five games.

In three games againsts conference foe Eastern Kentucky, last weekend, Uhle had two doubles and two home runs, driving in five while scoring 11 times.

In the first game, he reached base safely and scored in six of his seven plate appearances. He increased his season-high hitting streak to seven after the last game against Eastern Kentucky.

Uhle now is the team leader in runs scored (48) and doubles (14), is second in hits (51) and is third in batting average (.329).

Eastern coach Jim Schmitz said moving Uhle to the leadoff position earlier in the season provided a solid guy to lead his lineup.

“We have really allowed him to be our catalyst,” Schmitz said. “He has been not just a guy who gets on base but he has been able get (them on in many different ways). The team has really been following his lead.”

The softball team got exactly what it needed last weekend as the Panthers took two of three from Austin Peay in Ohio Valley Conference action.

Eastern had struggled all season at the plate, but last week Lovering, a junior, exploded with offensive numbers good enough to earn her OVC Player of the Week honors.

Lovering had a double and six RBIs in the week. She only failed to reach base once against Austin Peay, going seven-for-eight.

The 5-foot-7 Germantown, Wis., native currently leads the team in five offensive categories, with a .253 batting average, five doubles, three home runs, 15 runs scored and 15 RBIs.