Since starting conference play on March 25, Eastern’s offense has taken off, averaging 5.4 runs per game against Ohio Valley Conference opponents. The Panthers also have 25 doubles, first in the OVC, and have scored 65 total runs, second in the OVC.

Unfortunately for the Panthers (9-20, 6-6 OVC), they haven’t been able to carry their offensive dominance into their non-conference games. In Eastern’s 17 non-conference games this season, it’s averaging just 2.2 runs per game.

“I don’t know what the problem is,” Eastern third baseman Rachel Karos said. “This pitcher today (Saint Louis University’s Lorena Floccari) wasn’t anything that we haven’t seen before.”

Karos is one of the Panthers who has helped Eastern’s offense explode, hitting .475 in the OVC. She has also hit four doubles, one home run, drove in nine RBIs and scored seven runs.

“We’ve talked about (the difference in run production) indirectly, but it’s apparent,” Karos said. “We’ve had a totally different mindset. Our intensity needs to better, and we need to treat it like it’s a conference game.”

Karos admitted that it’s better that they’re scoring in their conference games and not their non-conference games instead of vice-versa, but that it doesn’t justify it.

“It’s not like we shouldn’t be playing hard because these games are good practice for the weekend (OVC) games,” Karos said.

Eastern head coach Lloydene Searle agrees that the mid-week games are good practice for the OVC games, and the Panthers need to take advantage of them.

“We’re getting live at bats and pitching instead of just scrimmaging, and it’s good preparation for the weekend,” Searle said. “Maybe these games will make us stronger for the weekend.”

The Panthers are hoping their offensive onslaught will continue when they travel to Tennessee Tech for a three-game set this weekend.