Eastern’s softball team will take on IUPUI in its last non-conference games of the year today at Williams Field, with the first pitch taking place at 4 p.m. The teams will play a doubleheader with the second game tentatively scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.

Eastern will enter the game with a 24-20 overall record and a 14-8 Ohio Valley Conference record. The IUPUI Jaguars will come to Charleston with an overall record of 15-30.

These two teams met earlier in the season with Eastern coming out victorious with a 3-0 win. Stephanie Maday picked up the win for the Panthers, pitching a complete game shutout. She only allowed three hits and one walk in the game, while striking out seven Jaguars. Maday only faced 22 batters, which is only one more than the minimum for seven innings pitched.

Nikki Thomas made the start on the mound for IUPUI and had a spectacular game as well. Thomas pitched seven innings, allowing three runs (no earned) on six hits and five walks. She also struck out seven Panthers.

Freshman shortstop Bailey O’Dell led Eastern’s offensive attack with a three-for-three effort at the plate. 

It is likely that the Panthers will pitch their sophomore duo of Maday and Hanna Mennenga tomorrow against IUPUI. Maday is currently sitting on a 14-10 record with a 1.91 ERA. She has thrown 15 complete games in 25 starts, so there is a good chance she will go the distance in one game. 

Mennenga has also been very good this season and is 10-7 with a 3.18 ERA.

O’Dell continues to lead the Panthers offensive attack at the plate. 

She has a batting average of .386 with 28 runs scored and 22 RBIs, leading the team in each of those categories.

Sophomore Carly Willert is hitting .305 with 12 runs scored and 15 RBI as she continues her strong stretch of good games in the batter’s box. Junior Melise Brown has also been very efficient this season and has a .292 batting average with 12 runs scored and 15 RBIs. She also has a team leading 15 stolen bases in 18 attempts. 

Eastern’s defense struggled in its last game against EKU on Sunday, but head coach Kim Schuette does not foresee this being a problem in the future. 

“We will work hard on Tuesday with a lot of repetition so we are confident on Wednesday,” Schuette said. “We will then work hard again on Thursday so we can relax and play this weekend. Good Preparation with repetition equals confidence which equals success. We are a good team.”

 Erik Jensen can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].