Standings

To say this weekend’s series against Austin Peay is just another conference series is an understatement.

Eastern sits in eighth place in the current Ohio Valley Conference standings, while Austin Peay is in sixth place. The top six teams make the OVC Tournament, scheduled to start play May 10. Eastern is currently one game behind the Lady Governors for sixth place.

The Panthers (20-26, 7-11 OVC) have seven conference games left beginning with Saturday’s doubleheader in Clarksville, Tenn.

Eastern head coach Kim Schuette said the key is to play loose and with energy.

“These kids play better when they’re talking and jumping around,” she said. “I don’t know, when everything’s loud, they play better for some reason. As long as they bring that energy out to the game, then I’ll be proud of them.”

Last year at this time, the two teams met in a crucial series also. Austin Peay visited Charleston coming into the series in sixth place, while the Panthers were in seventh.

Eastern swept the three-game series, with pitcher Kathleen Jacoby recording all three wins, including a complete game, shutout in the third game.

The sweep started a seven-game winning streak that Eastern ended the regular season on en route to a third-place conference finish.

“We have a perfect situation, in my eyes, because we decide what happens with us,” Schuette said. “We have to get our job done this weekend to even worry about anyone else.”

Slap-hitters come up clutch

Two days after left-handed slap-hitters Angela Danca and Megan Nelson played an instrumental role in Sunday’s 4-3 win against Morehead State, the two contributed again Tuesday.

In Eastern’s second game against Illinois, the Panthers trailed 3-2 going into the seventh inning. Chelsea Adams drew a walk with one out and Schuette turned to Nelson to pinch-hit for junior Allyson Nolte. Nolte had contributed a run-scoring single in her previous at-bat.

But Nelson forced a walk out of Illinois’ pitcher.

Danca came on as a pinch-hitter for Stephanie Militello and worked a 3-2 count before hitting a groundball between Illinois’ second baseman and first baseman. Illinois second baseman Molly Lawhead got to the ball, fielded it, but her throw was high to first baseman Kristen Martin. The ball rolled to Illinois’ dugout fence and allowed Adams to score from second base and tie the game at 3.

Danca said her approach is simple: just hit the ball on the ground and run.

“Don’t think about anything else,” she said. “Because once you think about everything else, that’s when you become a head case or pop the ball up or you’re going to strike out.”

Updated look at record book

Senior catcher Sandyn Short came into the year holding one Eastern career hitting record (doubles) and five single-season records. With her year this year (.288 average, six home runs, 29 RBIs and 13 doubles), she has continued to erase old records.

Short now holds the career record for RBIs (115) and total bases (341). She also added to her doubles total (59) and is currently the program’s all-time leading home run hitter (23).

Short came into her senior year trailing teammate and fellow senior Chelsea Adams in home runs (18 to 17). But with Adams only hitting three home runs so far, Short now leads 23 to 21.

Jacoby has added on to her impressive freshman year strikeout numbers. The Beecher native has struck out 105 batters on the year, already good for tenth place on Eastern’s single-season list.

With the 140 strikeouts she had last season, good for fifth place for most strikeouts in a season, Jacoby’s 245 strikeouts have her in fifth place on Eastern’s all-time list.

Quote of the week

“She’s very competitive. She always has been. And sometimes it’ll get her in trouble because she thinks too much. But it’s great in games like these because she’s a pitcher who can really buckle down and focus. She pitched probably a little better than the seven walks show. There were a lot of close pitches that the umpire was calling balls. She’s just one of those people that you put up to a challenge she’ll buckle down.”

-Short on Jacoby’s pitching performance from Sunday’s 4-3 win against Morehead State. Jacoby only allowed two hits and walked seven batters on the day, but won her seventh game of the year with the victory.