EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The No. 1 seed for the Ohio Valley Conference Softball Tournament will be decided next weekend in a three-game series between SIUE and Eastern Illinois.

With a pair of SIUE losses Sunday and an EIU split with UT Martin, SIUE will need a three-game sweep to capture the No. 1 seed for the league tournament. SIUE already has clinched its spot in the eight-team OVC Tournament set for May 8-11.

SIUE, 34-11 and 17-5 in the OVC, dropped a pair of close games to Murray State to close out the home OVC schedule. The Racers edged the Cougars 2-1 and 3-1 Sunday.

SIUE senior catcher Samantha Stanicek had the best day of any SIUE player at the plate. She was 4 for 5 in the doubleheader. Senior second baseman Taylor Tooley scored SIUE's only run in game one. Senior Amanda Lambrecht also was honored between games with Stanicek and Tooley.

"It's always tough playing your last home game," said SIUE Head Coach Sandy Montgomery.

The Cougars had little trouble collecting hits against Murray State, 20-24 and 12-10 in the OVC. The problem for SIUE was getting timely hits. The Cougars stranded 11 in game one and seven more in game two.

Haley Chambers took the loss in game one. She struck out five and allowed just three hits. A third inning home run by Murray State first baseman Leslie Bridges proved to be difference.

Murray State took advantage of two SIUE errors in game two to score three unearned runs off SIUE starter Erin Greenwalt. The Racers stranded nine runners in the second game. SIUE scored its only run of game two in the second inning when CC Hutchinson singled and later scored on an infield error.

"The psyche this time of the year is tough to manage," said Montgomery. "There's certainly no reason for us to doubt ourselves individually or as a team."

Montgomery said the Cougars have finals week beginning Monday and will prepare for their final OVC series of the season. The Cougars play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. with Eastern Illinois, 35-12 and 20-3 in the OVC. Sunday's regular season finale will be at 1 p.m. Sunday.

"We just have to get back on track and start making some things happen that didn't happen today," said Montgomery.