FINAL STATS

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois used a 3-1 win over the Jacksonville State softball team on Sunday to win the series and clinch the 2011 Ohio Valley Conference regular season title at Williams Field.

The Panthers (36-10, 23-4 OVC) secured the right to host the OVC Championship in less than two weeks by riding a three-run third inning to their second win over the Gamecocks (35-15, 20-7 OVC) in the three-game series. One win by JSU in its final series of the season next week would secure the Gamecocks the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the conference tournament.

Senior Sallie Beth Burch belted a solo home run in the fourth off of EIU starter Amber May to account for JSU's lone run. The second baseman from Moulton, Ala., also reached on an error in the sixth to cap a 1-for-2 day at the plate. Junior Tess Echols singled in the seventh to record JSU's only other hit off of May, who improved to 20-4 after her second complete-game win of the series.

JSU senior Ashley Eliasson (3-3) suffered the loss for JSU in the circle after allowing three runs on two hits and three walks in 2.1 innings of work. Freshman Tiffany Harbin pitched the final 3.2 innings for JSU, striking out seven and holding EIU scoreless on two hits.

Morgan Biel drove in a pair on her lone hit of the day, a third-inning single, while Kylie Holtz went 2-for-3 with a single and a double to lead the Panthers at the plate. Hailee Hanna drove in their other run with a single, also in the third.

The Gamecocks will take on UAB on Thursday at 6 p.m. in Birmingham before hosting Murray State in a three-game series to close the regular season. The series will begin with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. before concluding with a 1 p.m. single game on Sunday.