The Eastern softball team lost a hard fought series to Tennessee-Martin, which allowed the Skyhawks to clinch the regular season Ohio Valley Conference title. Eastern lost the first game of the series by a final score of 5-1, but regrouped in the second game with an easy 9-4 win. In the series finale on Sunday the Panthers were defeated by a final score of 5-4, which resulted in Tennessee-Martin claiming the OVC regular season title.

In Saturday’s action the Panther softball team split a pair of games with conference leading Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks, losing the first game 5-1, but coming back and winning the second game of the doubleheader by a final score of 9-4.

Eastern took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning in the first game of the day when junior outfielder Melise Brown struck a hard single to centerfield, driving in Kaylie Pruett. Unfortunately for the Panthers, that was the only run they would score in the game.

Tennessee-Martin put the game out of reach in the fifth inning when it scored five runs. Jenny Bain began the hitting barrage for the Skyhawks, blasting a bases loaded single that drove in two runs. Becca Williams followed this up later in the inning with a bases loaded walk while Kenzi Tate put the game out of reach for good when she doubled to deep center, driving in the Skyhawks last two runs of the game.

Sophomore ace Stephanie Maday started for the Panthers and picked up the loss. Maday now has a 14-12 record for the season. She went 4.1 innings in the game, giving up five runs (two earned) on four hits and five walks. Hanna Mennenga pitched the final 1.2 innings of the game and only allowed two hits.

Tennessee-Martin’s Chelsea Jones continued her dominant season on the mound, picking up win number 23 on the season. Jones has a blistering 23-7 this season. She pitched a complete game, giving up one run (no earned) on five hits and no walks.

In the second game of the day, the Panthers proved that they could compete with anyone in the conference, defeating the conference leading Skyhawks 9-4 in an old-fashioned barnburner.

The Panthers got great production from their lineup and a little help from the Skyhawks, who allowed Eastern to score four unearned runs on four errors in the game.

Hanna Mennenga made the start for Eastern and only went one inning, allowing one run on two hits and a walk. Mennenga was replaced by Stephanie Maday in the second inning. Maday pitched the final six innnings, allowing three runs on five hits while improving her record to 15-12 on the season.

The Panthers really swung the bat well in this game, and outhit the Skyhawks by a total of 8-7. Morgan Biel led the team at the plate, going two-for-three with two runs scored an RBI. Carly Willert was also spectacular, going two-for-four with two runs scored and an RBI. The Panther lineup demonstrated its depth by having seven different players on the team who had at least one RBI.

In the final game of the series Eastern attempted to prolong Tennessee-Martin’s regular season conference title celebration, but were unable to do so and ended up losing a closely contested game by a final score of 5-4.

The Skyhawks got things going in the third inning when Stephanie Maday walked Lauren Smith with the bases loaded, giving Tennessee-Martin a 1-0 lead. Things would continue to spiral downward for the Panthers in the fourth inning when the Skyhawks added two more runs to the scoreboard on a fielder’s choice and a double, extending their lead to 3-0.

The Panthers would respond in the top of the fifth inning when Abby Wood blasted a solo homerun (2) to center field, cutting Tennessee-Martin’s lead to 3-1.

The Skyhawks were not done, though, as they scored two more runs in the fifth inning to push the lead to 5-1 on a Kenzi Blake single with the bases loaded.

Eastern responded with a strong sixth inning, scoring two runs on an Asheligh Westover fielders choice RBI and an Abby Wood infield single that also resulted in an RBI, putting the Panthers behind two runs before heading to the seventh inning.

The Panthers were able to score one more run in the seventh inning on a Melise Brown RBI single, but were closed out after that and ended up losing the game by a final score of 5-4

Stephanie Maday picked up the loss for Eastern, giving up five runs (four earned) in six innings of work. Maday’s record is now 15-13 for the season.

Eastern’s overall record is now 25-23 for the season with a 15-10 mark in the OVC. They will finish off their regular season this weekend when they play conference foe Austin Peay at Williams Field.

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