The Eastern softball team flexed some muscle at the Rosemont Dome tournament this weekend, winning three of its four games, including two by the 10-run mercy rule.

Eastern scored 28 total runs in the tournament, winning their first game over the University of Detroit 6-2, falling in their second game 6-2 against Miami Ohio, then finishing the tournament with two 10-0 wins over IUPUI and Fort Wayne.

The Panthers hit .370 as a team in the tournament and slugged at a clip of .556, hitting two home runs, eight doubles and three triples.

A pair of freshmen led the offensive charge for Eastern. Catcher Haley Mitchell led the team with six RBIs and put up a .385 batting average, while Mia Davis had four RBIs and a .538 batting average.

Eastern’s pitching was strong all weekend, allowing just eight runs in the four games. Six of those runs came in the Panthers’ 6-2 loss to Miami Ohio.

With the way the Panthers were hitting in the 10-run mercy rule games, a strong pitching performance was not necessarily needed but they got it anyways.

Junior Michelle Rogers recorded the win for the Panthers in the 10-0 win against IUPUI. Rogers pitched four shut out innings and allowed just three hits.

Freshman Allison Golic finished off the game with one scoreless fifth inning and struck out one.

Juniors Jessica Wireman and Tori Johnson finished off the Panthers’ third win of the tournament with a combined shutout against Indiana Fort Wayne. Wireman went four innings and Johnson pitched the fifth.

Wireman struck out five batters to get her total to nine for the weekend.

Rogers and Wireman handled a majority of the pitching duties the past two seasons, but this year Eastern has a bit more depth at the position with the addition of the freshmen and Johnson potentially getting more innings.

Wireman took the loss in the Miami Ohio game. She gave up four hits and five runs but only two runs were earned.

Eastern’s new look team got off to a good start this weekend and will head to Florida next weekend for the North Florida Tournament. Eastern is set for five games including a contest against Kansas.

The Jayhawks had no problem scoring runs in their first five games of the season, posting 44 runs, including two 16-run games.

Kansas gave up just four runs in those games as well.

Eastern will also get to know North Florida, the tournament host, a little bit this weekend as well.

The Panthers will play North Florida Sunday and will also play them the following Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Mississippi State tournament.

For the Panthers, this was the second year in a row they have opened the season with a winning record.

Sean Hastings and JJ Bullock can be reached at 581-2812 or densportsdesk@gmail.com