Issue date: 4/21/09 Section: Sports

Freshman outfielder Hayley Pieper throws to the infield after making a catch in the outfield during the first game in the double header against Morehead State on Saturday afternoon at Williams Field. (Erin Matheny/The Daily Eastern News)

The Eastern softball team is looking to end its longest losing streak of the season.

The Panthers (24-19) have lost five straight games and look to end that streak and go on a run toward the end of the season.

That winning streak can end today with Illinois (24-14) at 6 p.m. today at Williams Field.

"This point in the year can be the fun part of the season or the aggravating part of the season," said Eastern head coach Kim Schuette.

Schuette wants her team to soar.

"That's been our focus," she said. "It's for us to be the team that soars and us to be the team that is pumped up."

Schuette said she saw that energy against Tennessee Tech.

The Panthers are going to need that to play a lot better than they did against Morehead State. The Panthers dropped all three games against the Eagles in a critical Ohio Valley Conference series.

After the Fighting Illini, the Panthers play Southeast Missouri in an OVC doubleheader Thursday at Williams Field and host a three-game series with league-leading Jacksonville State Saturday and Sunday at Williams Field. After that, the Panthers play four more regular season games.

"We worry about Illinois first," Schuette said. "I think we're getting a little too far ahead of ourselves in standings, in hosting and not hosting and devastated when we lose. We have got to play one game at a time. That's what got us here. We just got to start winning the close games. That's the key down the stretch."

Under Schuette's tenure, the Panthers have pulled out many close games. While the Panthers lost their last two one-run games, Eastern is 49-21 in those one-run games since the start of 2006 season.

"I don't think we have a defeated attitude," said Eastern freshman catcher Hailee Hanna. "We still hold our heads up."

The Fighting Illini have lost four of their last six games with two wins against Indiana.

Eastern sophomore pitcher Amber May said the Panthers want to start a streak at Illinois. May said the Panthers need to improve the batting, pitching and string a few good hits to get a win and carry momentum into Thursday's games against Southeast Missouri.

Eastern's only win against Illinois came back in 2007 when the Panthers won 9-4 at Williams Field.

May (17-12, 1.72 ERA) leads the Panthers and will likely start against Fighting Illini freshman pitcher Monica Perry (19-12, 3.88 ERA).

Eastern lost 13-5 and 14-1 in Urbana last season with both losses coming in five innings. In 2006, the Panthers lost two close games to Illinois. Eastern then went on a nine-game winning streak and finished third at the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.


Kevin Murphy can be reached at 581-7944 or at kjmurphy@eiu.edu.

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