The Eastern softball team will wrap up its road trip today against Butler in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. in Indianapolis, Ind.

The Panthers (17-14, 7-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference) are coming off a mid-week sweep of Saint Louis, who defeated them last season, and look to avenge a loss to Butler in 2009.

Eastern freshman pitcher Hailie Ray threw well for the Panthers in Tuesday’s second game, entering the contest with two outs in the second inning.

Ray (2-1) relieved freshman pitcher Natalie Wunderlich, who had been beat up by the Saint Louis bats for four runs in 1 2/3 innings of work.

Ray, the Ottawa, Kan. native, pitched 5 1/3 innings to help the Panthers complete a comeback win, 6-4.

Eastern head coach Kim Schuette was impressed with Ray’s pitching performance but has not thought yet of giving the freshman a start in the Butler series.

“I tell the team to take everything one game at a time, so I have to take it one day at a time, too,” Schuette said following the Saint Louis series.

Ray has been the least used of Eastern’s three pitchers, only making nine appearances this season in 20 2/3 innings of work.

Schuette said she was not only impressed with Ray’s ability to throw strikes but also liked her fielding ability.

“Anything can happen,” Schuette said. “She might start the first game, maybe she’ll start the second game. She might not see action, or maybe she’ll just be a reliever in both games.”

Against Butler, Schuette said she hopes to have the team playing well coming into this weekend’s OVC series against Eastern Kentucky (11-25, 5-5 OVC)

“The only thing we want to do with these mid-week games is make sure that we are playing good softball for the weekend,” Schuette said.

Butler will have played four games in three days after tomorrow’s doubleheader following playing Valparaiso in a doubleheader Tuesday. The Bulldogs got the day off Wednesday after the Valpo series finale was rained out.

The Bulldogs can play long stretches, having played six games in four days between April 1 and April 4.

Since the start of April, Butler has only gotten one day off. On April 5, the Bulldogs didn’t have a scheduled game.

The Bulldogs (27-8, 5-2 in the Horizon League) aren’t slowing down going into the doubleheader against Eastern.

Schuette said Butler is looking good lately, doing a good job winning.

“They’re a good team and they’re doing a good job of getting W’s right now,” Schuette said.

The Panthers will look to gain some momentum out of the Butler game and look to be playing good softball going into a crucial weekend series against Eastern Kentucky, who is sitting behind Eastern in fourth place in the OVC.

The first game of the Eastern-Butler doubleheader is slated to begin at 2 p.m., with the nightcap to follow at approximately 4 p.m.

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

Freshman outfielder Andi Morgan had three runs, one hit and one RBI during the series against Saint Louis. (Audrey Sawyer / The Daily Eastern News)

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