The Eastern softball team will be on the road Tuesday for a midweek doubleheader against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

The games are scheduled to start at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

The Panthers split a road doubleheader on March 26 against Tennessee Tech, losing 4-6 and winning 10-4, before having the series finale Saturday canceled due to severe weather.

In the first game of that doubleheader, the Eastern lineup was kept in check for much of the game, scoring once in the fourth inning on a Morgan Lewis single.

They scored three runs in the seventh inning to cut into the Golden Eagles’ lead with Katie Nicholson scoring on an error before shortstop Megan Burton hit a 2-run home run, her ninth of the season.

They could not get closer than 6-4 however, and fell to Tennessee Tech.

The Panthers got off to a fast start in the second game when Nicholson tripled with one out and Burton hit her second 2-run home run in as many at bats to give the Panthers an early lead.

Her 10 home runs this season lead the team and rank second in the OVC.

The Panthers hit three more home runs in the game with Mia Davis going deep in the second, Haley Mitchell hitting a 2-run shot in the third and Amber Cieplinski hitting a solo home run in the fourth.

Eastern led 6-2 after four and then added another run in the fifth and three more in the seventh.

They also went 10-for-10 in stolen bases in the game with Lewis, Nicholson, Andrea Sampson and Malia Gunn each stealing one and Burton, Abby Taylor and McKinlee Miller each stealing two apiece.

Lewis also stole three bases on three attempts in the first game.

The Panthers will now face a Cougar team that is 4-8 in conference play this season and just won its first conference series of the season over Jacksonville State.

Adam Tumino can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].