Home run records were not safe this past weekend, as the single season home run records for both Eastern and Austin Peay were tied as the two teams split a doubleheader Saturday at Clarksville, Tenn.

For Eastern, freshman catcher Sandyn Short tied the record on Saturday during the first game of the Panthers’ doubleheader with her seventh home run of the season. Austin Peay’s record was also tied as Brianna Venable, the team’s sophomore shortstop, hit her 10th home run of the season.

Many records are withing Short’s grasp, as her totals for batting average, RBI and home runs are just about to break the previous record.

Short’s next home run, which will be her eighth, will put her solely into first place over Eastern’s history for home runs.

Also, the home run she hit in the first game of the doubleheader was necessary for the team to stay in a game that lasted 11 innings, and for relief pitcher Heather Hoeschen to claim the victory for Eastern.

Short’s home run came in the top of the fifth inning after the Panthers had fallen behind by the score of 5-3, and the three-run blast put the Panthers ahead momentarily 6-5.

After the Panthers went ahead, starting pitcher Andrea Darnell could not hold the lead in the sixth and was relieved by Hoeschen who pitched another six innings.

The 11-inning marathon was finally ended by freshman Katy Steele, whose only hit of the game brought in Cassandra North for the go-ahead run.

Steele’s hit came off Austin Peay starter Natasha Anderson who lasted all 11 innings of the game, but did give up seven runs over that time.

Eastern didn’t fare quite as well in the second game of the doubleheader as starter Brittany Whelan had a rough outing.

Whelan gave up nine runs, all of them earned, on 14 hits over the 5 2/3 innings she pitched against the Governors. Hoeschen again relieved but this time for only one out.

By that time the Panthers were down by five runs, and the Panther offense added one more before the game finished with the final score of 9-5 in favor of the Governors.

In the third game Eastern managed to come back on three different occasions to win against the Governors.

In reverse fashion from game one, it was Darnell who relieved Hoeschen to earn a victory for the Panthers. Darnell entered the game in the fifth inning after Hoeschen had given up seven runs, four of them earned, on six hits.

From then on, the Governor attack fizzled and Darnell pitched scoreless baseball for the 2 2/3 innings she was in the game.

That allowed the Panthers to score one in the sixth and one in the seventh to come back and win the game.

The extra inning finale, was finally ended by Rachel Karos who singled home Chelsea Adams.

The victory put the Panthers at 6-8 in the Ohio Valley Conference, which is good enough for sixth place in the conference, just ahead of the Governors who they passed because they won the series this weekend.

While this doesn’t place Eastern in the top half of the conference, they now have won five of their last six games in conference.