It was an emotional week for Eastern’s seniors leading up to this weekend, and for Kylie Bennett, it had a happy ending.

“I really have no word to describe today,” Bennett said. “It seems surreal. Obviously the beginning of the game was hard. We all cried on each other’s shoulders. Everything was a last for us at Williams Field.”

Bennett once again showed her power at the plate hitting two home runs in the first game of the doubleheader, helping the Panthers come away with a 6-1 win.

With her second home run of the game, Bennett put her name in the record books as the all-time leader for home runs in a season with 11. Bailey O’Dell set the record last season with 10. Bennett had one home run yesterday as well.

“My first home run, to tie the record, I cried rounding third going to home plate to meet my team,” Bennett said. “But breaking the record was an unbelievable feeling. There is nothing more I could have asked for. I’m incredibly proud of all my fellow seniors and everything we have accomplished together in our careers.”

Bennett finished the day 4-5 with three RBIs, one double, two home runs, and two runs scored.

Along with Bennett, April Markowski, Katie Watson, Haylee Beck, and Jennette Isaac were all honored before the game for their careers at Eastern.

The Redhawks got on the board first in game one, but Eastern went on to score six unanswered. Sophomore catcher Andrea Roberts drove in a run in the game too.

Markowski also had a strong first game going 2-3 with a run scored.

Sophomore pitcher Jessica Wireman got the start for the Panthers and went all seven innings to earn her 17^th win of the season. She finished the regular season 17-17.

Game two did not quite go the Panthers way as they fell in the regular season finale 4-1.

Freshman second baseman Mady Poulter drove in the team’s only run when she hit into a double play in the fifth inning.

Sophomore pitcher Michelle Rogers took the loss on the mound for Eastern. Rogers pitched all seven innings and allowed three earned runs.

The regular season is over for the Panthers but they will head to Alabama for the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament as the No. 2 seed. State

After losing six games in a row early in the season, Eastern went on to win 14 out of 16 games.

Eastern will play No. 7 Morehead State Wednesday at 12:30 in Oxford, Ala. Eastern did not play Morehead State as the doubleheader was rained out earlier in the season.

Sean Hastings can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]