The Eastern softball team looks to get on track after dropping two games on Tuesday against Southeast Missouri.

The Panthers (8-13) will step out of Ohio Valley Conference action with a doubleheader game against Southern Illinois at 3 p.m. today at Williams Field.

It is the first home non-conference game the Panthers have played this season.

Freshman third baseman Kiley Holtz said the team is just focusing on playing a good game, especially after the losses.

Holtz said the team wants to build their confidence levels and getting a win against a team from another conference would help.

Southern leads the all-time series 23-13.

Southern Illinois (15-14) has had mixed success against OVC opponents.

Southern split a pair of games against Tennessee-Martin and Eastern Kentucky. The Salukis defeated Tennessee-Martin, 14-1, which was at a tournament in Murfreesboro, Tenn. in February. Southern lost to Eastern Kentucky 8-6 in Honolulu earlier this month.

Danca possibly out for season, looking for medical red-shirt

Junior center fielder Angie Danca dislocated, sprained and broke her left thumb March 2 against Jackson State.

Danca had surgery last Friday at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Champaign.

“They had to go in and put the bone that was broken in and put it back together with two screws,” she said. “I can just tell it hurts real bad right now, and I need to get some more medicine.”

Danca said she was on painkillers at the time.

She and Eastern head coach Kim Schuette are looking for a possible medical red-shirt.

Schuette said Danca dislocated her thumb when she tried to slide into second base.

“I was stealing second and the ball came across and she flipped me,” Danca said. “I must have come down on my hand. She cleated me. It happened so fast I can’t remember.”

Danca was the team’s leading hitter at the Tennessee-Chattanooga Frost Classic this season. Danca went 6-for-11 with four runs and four stolen bases.

Lawson has surgery, possibly to return

Freshman pitcher Taylor Lawson had hand surgery last week.

Lawson said she had surgery on her left hand to get rid of a blister that had spread to the back of her hand.

“They had to go in and cut it open before it could damage my thumb muscle,” Lawson said.

The Oswego native had only pitched five innings this season giving up seven hits and seven runs.

Schuette said Lawson could possibly be back for the end of the conference season.

Holtz hits first career home run

Holtz hit her first career home run on Tuesday in the top of the third inning against Southeast Missouri.

“I think she would trade her home run in for a win,” Schuette said.

Holtz crushed the ball over the left field fence and across a road into a field.

She said it was a changeup high in the zone.

“I didn’t even know that it was going to be over (the fence),” Holtz said.

Sophomore center fielder Denee’ Menzione hit a home run over the centerfield wall of after Holtz.

Menzione leads the team with five home runs. Her home run on Tuesday was her ninth career home run. It placed her sixth all-time in Eastern career history and ties her for sixth-place on the single-season list.

It is the first time this season the Panthers have hit back-to-back home runs.

Kevin Murphy can be reached at 581-7944 or at kjmurphy@eiu.edu.