Eastern head coach Kim Schuette (above) and the softball team won their series against Morehead State this weekend at Williams Field. The Panthers picked up their first win on Saturday, ending a five-game losing streak.

Sophomore pitcher Kathleen Jacoby picked up two consecutive wins this weekend and her first win since April 3 against Ball State.

The Panthers (19-25, 7-11 Ohio Valley Conference) are in eighth place and only the top six teams make the OVC Tourney.

Here are three things that the Panthers need to do to make the OVC Tourney.

1. Clean fielding– Sunday’s game against Morehead State was unusual for the fielders. No Panther committed an error. The Panthers had committed at least one error in their last five games. The Panthers went 1-4 during that stretch.

2. Jacoby’s pitching– Jacoby may have picked up two wins this weekend, but is nowhere near her stellar freshman year. Jacoby is second on the team with eight wins, has an ERA of 3.55 and has struck out 97, but walked 72, including seven in Sunday’s game. Her freshman year, Jacoby finished the year 21-12, with a 2.36 ERA and 140 strikeouts. She also only walked 69 batters.

3. Road wins– The Panthers need to win, regardless, but on the road as well. A three-game road series this upcoming weekend against seventh-place Austin Peay is critical.

Eastern is only 5-12 on the road and 1-7 in road OVC games this year.

Head coach Kim Schuette. (File photo/The Daily Eastern News)

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