The Eastern softball team is mired in a nine-game losing streak that dates back to March 24 and includes six losses to Ohio Valley Conference opponents. The feeling around the team, however, is that to truly understand the losing streak, you need to dig below the surface.

It seems like throughout the entire nine-game skid, which going even further back in the schedule converts to just a 1-12 record it in its last 13 games, Eastern has been every so close on multiple occasions to turning a couple of those losses into wins.

The Panthers were quite literally one or two outs away from picking up wins this past Saturday in 2-1 and 6-3 losses against Tennessee-Martin. In losses against Illinois and Indiana State, the Panthers feel the narrative was the same; one or two things go different, and Eastern is on the winning side of the coin.

In practice this week, Eastern has worked on defense at first and third base, hit-and-run situations and suicide squeezes in an effort to try and fix some of the things that have caused close games to sway out of its favor.

“And again, on Saturday, we were one out away from winning the first (game) and I don’t remember … a batter or two outs away from winning the second (game),” head coach Kim Schuette said. “Actually, the first game we were one pitch away. So, our kids again, maybe I sound like a broken record to the public, but I like our team. Our kids are doing what they’re told, they’re still working and we’re still doing our thing.”

The program is in full belief that if they keep doing what they are doing in practice and sticking to their guns, eventually a win will come their way. This mindset goes back to what Schuette was taught as a child.

“When I was little my parents always told me keep hustling, keep hustling, good things will happen, and whether that’s a faith thing, whether that’s a work ethic thing, I think good things happen to good people who keep working hard, and that’s what we’re going to do; we’re going keep on working hard and doing the little things, and those things are going to pay off.”

Tuesday Eastern will take what they have tried to do in practice to the field against Southern Illinois Edwardsville (10-16, 2-4 OVC) in a doubleheader at Williams Field. The game carries its importance in multiple places for the Panthers. One is obvious, being that they will be conference games. Two, Eastern will be vying to break a nine-game losing streak. Three, this conference game means a little more to both teams as a rivalry will be playing out.

“It always, quote on quote, a rivalry in the softball world with SIUE and Eastern Illinois,” Schuette said. “Maybe it’s the close location, maybe it’s the history of two good softball programs, but whatever the case may be, it’s always a battle, and anybody appreciates a good hard-fought battle. So I don’t expect to see anything less.”

The Cougars have not pitched well this season and carry an OVC second-worst 5.42 ERA. Southern Illinois Edwardsville also ranks in the bottom half of most of the league’s offensive categories.

But one person in particular makes this team scary: Alyssa Heren, the biggest bat in the Cougars lineup. Heren is fourth in the OVC with a .432 batting average and is second in the conference with 12 doubles this season. Needless to say, Eastern will try and avoid letting her bat do much damage tomorrow.

“Depending on the situation, you want someone else to beat you,” Schuette said of Heren. “She is doing a great job with the stick, and we want to do our best to combat her weakness, look at our scouts, look at our notes and make somebody else beat us.”

Eastern and Southern Illinois Edwardsville play at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

JJ Bullock can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]