Issue date: 2/23/09 Section: Sports

Sophomore pitcher Taylor Lawson practices on Feb. 11 in Lantz Fieldhouse. The team lost 3-2 to James Madison at the Gamecock Invitational in Columbia, S.C., on Sunday morning. (Eric Hiltner / The Daily Eastern News)

The Eastern softball team had been on the right end of close games. The Panthers had been 4-0 in close games. However, they were on the wrong end of their last two such games.

The Panthers lost 3-2 on Sunday to James Madison and 4-2 in 11 innings on Saturday to South Carolina at the South Carolina Gamecock Invitational in Columbia, S.C.

The Panthers (7-2) led James Madison 2-0 before the Dukes (10-3) hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead.

Eastern senior pitcher Kathleen Jacoby (2-1) pitched six innings and allowed five hits, walked four and struck out eight in Eastern's second-straight loss at the tournament and in the season.

The Panthers lost a heartbreaker against the Gamecocks in extra innings. The Gamecocks scored three runs in the top of the 11th, and Eastern could only answer back with one run in the bottom of the frame.

The Panthers left the bases loaded at the end of the game as sophomore third baseman Kiley Holtz lined out to third base.

Eastern sophomore pitcher Amber May (5-1) pitched a complete game. She scattered six hits, walked none and struck out five.

"We made two very costly base running mistakes in the eighth and ninth innings, when we should have won the game," Eastern head coach Kim Schuette said in a press release. "I don't argue much with the umpiring, but calls were overturned that should not have been overturned, which unfortunately made a huge impact in the game. USC is a good team and they played well, I just feel that two major calls changed the game."

The Panthers defeated Sacred Heart 2-1 in eight innings on Saturday morning, and they defeated Virginia 11-3 in six innings on Friday afternoon.

"In all the years I've been coaching, I have never had so many fans from other teams in a tournament come up to me after a game to tell me how much they thought the host team took advantage of their home field situation," Schuette said. "We definitely made a lot of fans come to our side and root for us."

The Panthers will play at Owl Classic in Kennesaw, Ga., hosted by Kennesaw State this weekend. The Panthers will play Kennesaw State at 10 a.m. on Friday and Southern Mississippi at 11:30 p.m. on Friday.

The Panthers will also play North Carolina Central at 10 a.m. on Saturday. They will also play an opponent in bracket play on Saturday at either 4 or 6:30 p.m.

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