Live Stats

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky’s softball team will host Tennessee-Martin for a three-game series beginning Saturday. The teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m., and a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Last Sunday Eastern Kentucky defeated Austin Peay for the 500th victory in program history and the 500th career victory for head coach Jane Worthington. A special presentation related to that milestone will be made before the first game against UT Martin on Saturday.

The Colonels are 17-10 overall this season and 4-4 against Ohio Valley Conference teams. Since losing three straight to start conference play, EKU is 4-1 in its last five games. The Skyhawks are 18-10 and 7-1 in the OVC.

Statistically the match-up between the two teams is even.

As a team, Eastern Kentucky is second in the OVC with a .292 batting average. UT Martin is fourth with a .281 average. The Skyhawks have the fourth best team ERA in the league at 2.79. EKU’s 3.72 ERA is fifth.

Individually the numbers are just as close. UT Martin freshman Amanda Brandenburg and EKU’s Diane Gallagher are tied for second in the OVC with 30 hits each. Eastern’s Ashley Dollins and Brandenburg are tied for first with eight doubles each. UTM’s sophomore Leah Taylor is tied for the league lead with eight home runs. She also leads the conference with 17 steals. Gallagher is third in the OVC with 14 stolen bases.

Three Colonels rank among the top-10 in batting average in the OVC. Gallagher (.390) leads the team and is sixth in the conference. Shyenne Hussey (.372) is seventh and Cassi Gibson (.357) is 10th.

Junior Chelsea Jones is second in the OVC with nine wins for the Skyhawks. Eastern Kentucky’s senior Noelani Esperas is tied for fifth with seven victories. Jones is second with 103 strikeouts. Esperas is sixth with 52 Ks. Jones leads the league with five shutouts and is second with a .179 opponents’ batting average. Esperas is 10th with an opponents’ batting average of .249.

Gallagher broke the Eastern Kentucky record for career stolen bases and led the Colonel softball team to a doubleheader split at Tennessee Tech on Tuesday. After a two-out single in the top of the sixth inning of the second game Gallagher broke the mark by stealing second base. Moments later she added her 72nd career steal when she swiped third base.