Eastern junior Megan Nelson and senior Sarah Coppert were fixtures at shortstop and second base, respectively, all of last season.

Nelson played all 46 games last season at shortstop, and Coppert played 43 games last season at second base.

Through the first 12 games this season, that was working well.

But Nelson had five errors in two games at the Kennesaw State Classic in February, and that is when Coppert and Nelson switched positions.

Nelson started at second base on March 7 against Kansas.

“It’s working out really well,” Nelson said. “Coppert’s getting a lot of range. She covers second on steals real well. It just kind of worked out a little better.”

Nelson has never played second base before.

“It really is different,” she said. “It took some adjustment, but I’ve gotten used to it.”

Since the end of the Kennesaw State Classic in 15 games, the two have only combined for four errors.

“Sarah, right now, has a little bit better arm and getting to the steals better than Megan,” said Eastern head coach Kim Schuette. “Megan likes to cover behind the first baseman. She goes well to her left. They like each other, and it’s working better for the team.”

Experts of the close games

The Eastern softball team has become experts of winning close games. They lose few of them.

The Panthers are 10-4 this season in one-run games and post a 5-1 mark in extra innings.

Since Schuette took over the program before the start of the 2006 season, the team has posted a 47-19 record in one-run games. In extra inning games, the team is 18-6.

“We don’t like to make them that close,” Nelson said. “It comes down to who wants it more, and we definitely want it. Even though it isn’t always pretty, we’ll take them.”

Nelson said the team is focused and has the stamina to go through the innings.

Eastern senior pitcher Kathleen Jacoby said the team wants to win more, and everybody on the team understands that, which is why they are so successful.

The Panthers finished a three-game sweep of Tennessee Martin with two-extra inning wins. All three games were decided by one run.

“They love the excitement, probably a little too much” Schuette said. “I would like to win more games by more than one run. They believe. That’s been our theme all year. That’s been the (athletic department’s) theme, but that’s really been our team theme all year with our wristbands, our little necklaces and believe in blue.”

Hitting the road

After posting a 6-3 record at Williams Field, the Panthers are hitting the road again.

They play No. 20 Southern Illinois Carbondale at 4 p.m. Wednesday in Carbondale. The Panthers play a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Eastern Kentucky on Saturday and Sunday.

They play Butler at 2 p.m. on April 2 at Williams Field, but will still play their next seven games on the road.

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

Junior infielder Megan Nelson bunts during the Eastern softball team’s home game against Tennessee State on March 13 at Williams Field. (Erin Matheny/The Daily Eastern News)

(more…)