Eastern junior pitcher Amber May proved to be the best in her match-up with three rotating throwers from Tennessee Tech (12-18) as the Eastern softball team swept the Golden Eagles over the weekend.

In three games, over Saturday and Sunday, May pitched all but 2.2 innings, surrendering just 11 hits and four runs, while striking out 20 batters.

May found herself in a jam numerous times during the three-game series, yet stepped up to finish the inning with little to no damage done.

Sunday’s final game saw May in the top of the seventh with a 6-3 lead, but Tennessee Tech would not go away.

Following a double by the Golden Eagles’ junior second baseman, Lacie Coquerille, advancing a runner to third base, May struck out sophomore first baseman Whitney Cummings for the inning’s first out.

May then walked junior catcher Callie Schmidt, who was 2-for-2 on the day, loading the bases for junior center fielder Kaleigh Gates.

With a pop-up straight at freshman second baseman Ally Seplak, the Panthers doubled-up the Golden Eagles to end the game, winning 6-3.

The Panthers swept through a doubleheader Saturday under the arm of May, who pitched a spotless first game. She tied her career-high with 10 strikeouts.

The fielders behind May contributed to her dominant performance.

“The outfield did a nice job all day,” Eastern head coach Kim Schuette said after the doubleheader. “They made some tough catches look easier than what they were and made some tough catches diving for the ball as well.”

May found herself in a pitchers’ duel as Tennessee Tech’s starter, sophomore pitcher Holly Thomas, went six innings while giving up one run.

“She’s a great pitcher; her stats tell it all,” May said. “She works hard and I work hard, so it was a battle for bragging rights more than anything in the OVC I think.”

The doubleheader’s first game came down to one run and the over-stretched arm of junior third baseman Kiley Holtz, who made the winning slide at home.

A left field single by Holtz in the bottom of the sixth, the next two batters got out but advanced Holtz base to base.

Then, sophomore catcher Hailee Hanna batted and shot a ball at the charging shortstop throwing home.

The play at the plate was close, with Schmidt using her leg to barricade the plate, but Holtz got her arm around it and the umpire signaled Holtz safe.

Eastern freshman catcher Abby Wood highlighted the second game, shooting a two-run homer to deep centerfield, the first of her career.

“She’s an athletic kid and when you’re an athlete you have to not think and just see the ball; she said she saw that one,” Schuette said.

The Golden Eagles tied the game in the sixth with a solo homer from Gates but it could have been worse.

Earlier in the inning, sophomore right fielder Jen Saucier made a catch at the warning track that stole an easy double from Schmidt.

“I thought there was no way she was even near it and then all of a sudden the ball went in her glove,” Schuette said.

Saucier nearly robbed Gates’ long ball on the next at bat, with the ball barely soaring over her glove’s reach.

“I think she was pretty close to grabbing that as well,” Schuette said.

The Panthers answered in the bottom half, scoring two after Schmidt made a throwing error trying to pick off freshman left fielder Melise Brown at third base.

“She has a cannon and likes to throw that way, so you always have to watch out for that, but she was bound to have one get away,” May said.

A wild pitch during the next at-bat brought senior shortstop Megan Nelson home to clinch the win.

With the weekend sweep, the Panthers improved to 5-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Eastern (13-11, 5-0 OVC) will hit the road Wednesday to play Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

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

Sophomore outfielder Jen Saucier catches a fly ball to get the third out in the fifth inning of the game Saturday afternoon against Tennessee Tech at Williams Field. (Audrey Sawyer/The Daily Eastern News)

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