Lady Eagles Not Distracted By Playoff Birth

The double header against Butte College on April 20th marked the home stretch for the Lady Eagles Softball team. With only three games remaining after Butte, Coach Doug Eastman wants his players to focus on finishing out the regular season strong. With a #1 seed in the playoffs clinched, it can be easy for players to look down the road rather than the task at hand.

The Lady Eagles were eager to get their bats in action that afternoon with a shocking first inning. Connelly was in a hurry to add to her total, batting in Chewning with a two run home run. Zwetschke followed her teammate and hit a solo home run to have the Eagles jump out in front with a 3-0 lead.

The second inning was fairly uneventful with Conser scoring on a Dirt RBI. The bottom of the third added a couple more runs to the total. Connelly had a hard line drive through the "hot-box" at third for a double. After a wild pitch, Connelly stole third and Shiery was walked Geer had an RBI to wrap up the 3rd.

After a heated pitching battle, the bottom of the fourth came around to really knock Butte on their heels. Palacio was walked to start off, Fellows followed with the second two run home run of the game. The bases stayed loaded for a while after Dirt's single, Chewning was hit by a pitch and Connelly singled. Dirt was forced out at home by Shiery's hit to put Chewning at third. Chewning Stole home on a wild pitch, and Stephanie Zwetschke got on base by a shortstop and 2nd base blunder. With all the runners moving through the bases the Butte players lost track of where all the runners where and tried to end the inning on a force out at second with no runner at first.

After that inning the Butte Roadrunners couldn't do much, ending the game at 9-1 in the bottom of the fifth.

Butte wanted revenge for the first game being ended early because of the mercy rule. They came out swinging in the first to put up one run, but their anxiousness would be their downfall.

The Eagles didn't get started until midway through the second inning. They put up a match run to tie Butte in the first but added five in the second, having the bases loaded most of the inning. With three singles by Geer, Palacio and a bunt by Fellows the bases were loaded. Alex Jordahl showed up when she had a 2 RBI single followed by a Dirt bunt and Chewning RBI.

COS played some hard defense throughout the rest of the game and the scoring came sporadically throughout the remainder. A Connelly solo home run in the bottom of the 4th, and a Jessica Shiery 2 run home run put the Lady Eagles up 9-3.

Coach Doug Eastman credits "the maturity of his team" for their success this season. "They have been in the system long enough to make effective adjustments."