EATON — Eaton’s softball team went 3-2 last week, picking up league wins over Oakwood and Bellbrook, but falling to Southwestern Buckeye League rivals Franklin and Brookville.
The Eagles (7-4, 3-2 SWBL) closed out the week with a split at St. Henry.
Eaton opened the week at Franklin on Tuesday, April 12 and suffered its first SWBL loss of the season, 8-0. The Wildcats took advantage of four Eaton errors to claim the win.
Franklin scored three times in the first inning and never looked back. Eaton collected just three hits on the night, one each by Jayna Lee, Logan Unger and Becca Mowen.
“We beat ourselves, we never found our routine. Our pitchers only gave up six hits but when we only get three hits it’s hard to win a ball game,” Eaton coach Maggie Neanen said. “Fielding, we had four errors which hasn’t been a problem until last night.”
The next night, Eaton senior pitcher Meghan Puckett allowed just two hits as the Eagles shut out Oakwood 12-0 in five innings.
Junior Grace Miller went 2-for-3 and Emily Dungan added a triple and walked twice.
Eaton opened the game scoring five runs in the first and closed the game with five in the fifth for the run-rule victory.
On Thursday, Eaton rallied from an early deficit to top Bellbrook 10-5.
On Friday, Eaton allowed four unearned runs in the first three innings in a 6-3 loss at home to Brookville. Puckett pitched a complete game, allowing just two earned runs.
Offensively, Mowen drove in all three runs with a triple in the third to cut the Eagles’ deficit to one at 4-3. But Brookville responded with two insurance runs in the first.
In the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday at St. Henry, the Eagles couldn’t hold on to a one-run lead twice and fell to the Redskins, 2-1.
Eaton took the lead in the first on an RBI single by Mowen. St. Henry tied the game in the fourth. In the sixth, Annika Gels tripled down the left field line to give Eaton a 2-1 lead.
The Redskins rallied though with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh for the win.
In game two, the Eagles got solid pitching from Gels and broke open a close game by scoring 12 runs in the final two innings. Gels allowed just three hits and struck out nine while tossing a complete game.
Leading 1-0 heading into the sixth, Eaton erupted for seven for a commanding 8-0 lead. They added five more in the seventh, before St. Henry added two in the bottom of the inning for the final margin.
Mowen went 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs. Bailee Worley had a double and drove in a pair of runs. Gels added a double as did Lee.
Eaton was scheduled to play at Brookville on Monday and host Franklin on Tuesday. On Friday, they are to host Carlisle before closing out the week hosting Twin Valley South for a doubleheader on Saturday.
