Before spring break, the Eastern softball team did not have its best weekend. It went 1-3 and struggled on offense, watching its slugging percentage drop nearly 40 points in four games.

However, whatever was plaguing the team then, they shook off in nine games over the last two tournaments.

The Panthers went 7-2 in its last two non-conference tournaments and outscored their opponents 48-26, including a 10-2 win over Georgetown and two shutouts.

Going 7-2 over any stretch in a season is a good sign, but for Eastern that record carries a little extra weight as that was the final nine games for the Panthers before conference play begins on March 24 at Belmont.

The Panthers now carry an OVC best 20-8 record going into non-conference play and will approach the OVC with a confident team taking things “one game at a time”, coach Kim Schuette said. 

“We had a good spring trip playing ball, improving our game and building our team,” Schuette said. “Our goal is to continue to grow each day we are given the opportunity to play this game and take it one game at a time.”

“A lot of kids are stepping up and ready for, and eager, for their name to be called, not for themselves, but to help the team,” she added.

Both games the Panthers lost could have gone either way, Schuette thought.

In the first tournament, the Panthers lost 6-5 in nine innings to Furman. Furman won the game when infielder Cammy Pereira stole home on a strikeout to win the game.

The second loss for Eastern was to the College of Charleston 4-3. Charleston scored all four of its runs in the second inning thanks to two home runs and a triple off senior pitcher Jessica Wireman.

“We had chances to win both games doing a few more little things right,” Schuette said. “But most importantly, our kids fight. Don’t count our kids out. We have had some good comebacks, some good performances and some excitement in and out of the dug out for the blue team (Eastern). At the end of the day, we hustle, we work hard and we compete.”

Eastern opened the break on March 10 in the Holy City Showdown with a 3-0 win over Wright State. Senior Michelle Rogers was sharp in that game for the Panthers, throwing a complete game giving up just three hits.

Sophomore Haley Mitchell was 3-3 with an RBI in that game. The win over Wright State was just the ignitor for Mitchell who was hit .666 with 10 RBIs in eight games.

The big set of games raised Mitchell’s slugging percentage to .863 on the season and her on base percentage to .477.

Eastern would finish that five-game tournament with wins over Winthrop, two over Charleston Southern and the loss to Furman.

Two days after the conclusion of the Holy City Showdown, Eastern stayed in the same city to play in the Charleston Invitational.

The Panthers beat Texas and Georgetown and split two games with the College of Charleston in that invite.

JJ Bullock can be reached at 581-2812 or jpbullock@eiu.edu