EATON — Eaton’s softball team launched six home runs in its first two sectional tournament games as it rolled through Oakwood and Fenwick to advance to a third straight Division II sectional final.
The No. 4 seeded Eagles (14-5) were scheduled to meet No. 3 seed Tippecanoe on Tuesday, May 15, at Dixie. The winner advances to the district final, which will be played Saturday, May 19, at a site yet to be determined, against either Clinton-Massie or Cincinnati McNicholas.
The Eagles hit a school record four homers in their first round game on Tuesday, May 8, as they cruised past Oakwood, 12-0, in 5-innings.
Eaton jumped out to an early lead to cruise to its third victory of the year over the Jills. Eaton also beat the Jills 13-0 and 16-3 this season.
Senior Bailee Worley doubled to get wheels in motion. She stole third and scored on a throwing error to put the Eagles up 1-0.
Sophomore Ashley Earley reached on an error and junior Annika Gels delivered her 100th career hit with single. Becca Mowen followed with a three-run homer to make it 4-0.
After an out, Lexi Miller reach base on an error and junior Alysa Sorrell launched her first career home run to make it 6-0.
Eaton tacked on three more runs in the second. Earley led the inning off with a single and Gels followed with her fourth home run of the season to give the Eagles an 8-0 lead. Miller, who reached base on a fielders choice, also scored.
In the third, Worley led off with a single and scored on Earley’s first career home run as Eaton extended its lead to 11-0. Mowen singled and scored on freshman Carsyn Lammers’ single to make it 12-0.
Sophomore Bailey Shepherd also added a pair of hits.
Gels picked up the win pitching four innings with six strike outs.
In the second round, Eaton eliminated No. 5 Fenwick 10-0 in 6-innings.
After a scoreless first two innings, Eaton took advantage of a few Falcon miscues to score six times in the third.
Junior Emily Dungan led off the third with a single and scored on a single by Worley to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Shepherd scored on a ground out by Gels to make it 2-0. A Fenwick throwing error on a grounder by Mowen allowed two more runs to score to give Eaton a 4-0 lead.
Miller followed with her first career homer to make it 6-0.
Eaton added two more runs in the fourth for an 8-0 lead when Shepherd scored on a single by Worley, who later scored on a Fenwick error.
In the fifth, Mowen hit her fourth home run of the season to make it 9-0.
Eaton wrapped up the scoring in the sixth.
Shepherd singled and stole second. Worley walked and junior Quinlynn Sitloh came off the bench to deliver a single to score Shepherd and end the game.
Gels tossed a one-hitter, while striking out five to get the win.
