A 5-0 start in Ohio Valley Conference play isn’t too shabby for the Eastern softball team.

With the five wins, the Panthers handily defeated two of the preseason favorites in the conference – Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech.

This past week, the Panthers were dominant in their first home games, sweeping a mid-week doubleheader against Indiana Purdue-Indianapolis and sweeping a weekend series against Tech.

Junior thrower Amber May was a main ingredient in the team’s dominance, which will clearly be the case as the season progresses.

Her stats were borderline ridiculous – a good thing. Talk about 18.1 innings pitched, 20 Ks, and 327 pitches.

She was the workhorse, although freshman pitcher Natalie Wunderlich pitched the second of two games Wednesday against IUPUI.

Wunderlich pitched well, throwing a complete game, allowing only six hits and one run.

But it’s obvious that May pitched better.

She entered the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader in relief of Wunderlich, who pitched 2.2 innings and got in a jam.

It was 2-0 going into the second inning when Wunderlich surrendered a single that bounced off senior shortstop Megan Nelson’s glove and a double that scored a run.

Head coach Kim Schuette must not have liked her prospects going forward with Wunderlich on the mound because she called on the right arm of May, who had just finished a 117-pitch, two hit performance.

May said Schuette told her to be ready, and she was, but physically?

Am I the only one who’s concerned about the wear and tear of throwing 327 pitches in two days?

While there’s no question the Panthers played great softball and the whole team contributed, people should worry about May’s extensive usage this weekend.

Maybe this weekend just wasn’t the time for Wunderlich to shine, but it put great weight on May’s shoulders.

Still, May pitched great, and the team should be overjoyed about its continuing prospects with May on her game.

Not to mention, May had a great defense behind her. There were tons of Web Gems this weekend in the outfield, from the gloves of freshman left fielder Melise Brown, senior center fielder Angie Danca and sophomore right fielder Jen Saucier.

Even with the poor weather conditions taking a toll on the field in Sunday’s game, the defense managed to make timely plays.

It was two infield pop-outs Sunday that turned into double plays that stalled the desperate offense of Tech, namely in the last inning.

Schuette thanked the grounds crew for preparing the field so well that her fielders could take advantage of it, even on a poor weather day.

So, the Panthers fired on all cylinders – the pitching, fielding and hitting.

Yet, I take one huge concern from this weekend’s action: The wear and tear on May.

With the overall impression the team left on me, I think Wunderlich will be a solid number two because in every position, it seemed the Panthers had a second answer.

Alex McNamee can be reached at 581-7944 or admncnamee@eiu.edu.