PREBLE COUNTY — As the softball season approaches the final two weeks of the regular season a league title is still within reach for at least two county teams.
Eagles win 3 straight, in contention for SWBL title
EATON – After dropping three straight games the previous week, Eaton rebounded last week with a trio of league wins to remain in the title hunt in the Southwestern Buckeye League West Division.
The Eagles improved to 7-1 in the SWBL and 8-6 overall with two wins over Valley View (18-7, 10-1) and a win over Oakwood (13-1) last week.
Carlisle is the lone remaining unbeaten in team in the SWBL West with a 3-0 league mark and 11-0 overall record.
Eaton is scheduled to play the Indians twice this week – at Carlisle on Wednesday and at home on Friday for Senior Night.
The Eagles toppled the vising Spartans on Wednesday with a pair of big innings late.
Eaton led 5-3 heading to the bottom of the fourth inning, then exploded for eight runs in the inning, highlighted by a grand slam from senior Allison Mowen.
Mowen added an inside-the-park home run two innings later as the Eagles pushed across five runs in the sixth for the run-rule victory.
Mowen finished the game 2-for-4 with six RBIs.
Junior Olivia Baumann hit for the cycle going 5-for-5 with a single, two doubles, a triple and a home run off the scoreboard.
Sophomore Emma Gebhart, senior Anna Kramer and junior Bailey Jerdon each had two hits and drove in two runs. Senior Abbie Bryant added a hit and drove in a pair of runs.
On Friday, Eaton pitcher Sam Witte tossed no-hitter for the first three innings and the Eagles pulled away late to claim the win.
Witte pitched four innings and allowed just three hits.
Eaton scored three times in the first and once in the fourth for a 4-0 lead. The Eagles added three runs in the sixth and seventh innings to close out the win.
Bryant led the offense going 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. Kramer had three hits, including a double. Gebhart, junior Kendall Miller and senior Macy Wright each added two hits.
Eaton closed out the week at Oakwood.
The Eagles scored nine runs in the first two innings and never looked back. They scored four in the first and five more in the second, then added single runs in the third and fourth and two more in the fifth.
Mowen finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Gebhart added a hit and drove in a career-high five runs. Kramer added a double, drove in three runs and scored three times.
In addition to playing Carlisle twice this week, Eaton was scheduled to play Madison on Tuesday and will travel to Northmont for a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.
Trail still has title hopes after win over T-V
NEW PARIS – National Trail kept its title hopes alive with a 14-4 run-rule victory over Tri-Village on Tuesdays, April 19.
Trail used a big inning to pull away for the win in a Western Ohio Athletic Conference game.
With the game tied at 3-3 after three innings, the Blazers tallied 11 runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Zoey Lee went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and scored two runs. Haley Davidson added two hits and drove in two runs. Skyler Ward added three hits and an RBI, while Rylee Minner added two hits.
Trail closed out the week with a 6-2 win over Fort Recovery on Friday.
Five different Blazers had at least two hits. Ward was 2-for-4 with two doubles and drove in two runs. Carley Hamm added two hits and drove in a run. J’da Jackson, Minner and Jenna Petitt each had two hits. Jaleah Coffey drove in a run.
Trail got the scoring started with three runs in the second and added three more in the fourth.
The Blazers (5-5, 4-2 WOAC) will need some help if they are to win the WOAC. The are two games back in the loss column behind Bradford and Arcanum.
Trail was scheduled to play Bethel on Monday, April 25 and Ansonia on Tuesday before closing out the week by hosting Newton on Friday.
South stymies Arrows
CAMDEN – Twin Valley South used a five-run first inning to grab control of a Western Ohio Athletic Conference game at Preble Shawnee and cruised to a 10-3 win.
Freshman Meredith Pieratt contributed on the mound and at the plate. She pitched a complete game allowing just five hits and striking out eight. At the plate, she went 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
Ava Montgomery added a hit and drove in two runs. Sidnee Elswick drove in a pair, while Hannah Thorpe added two hits.
South added three runs in the third to take an 8-1 lead. The Panthers scored twice more in the sixth for a 10-1 lead.
Shawnee scored a run in the second and two more in the sixth.
Shawnee fell to 1-8 overall and 0-5 in the WOAC.
The Arrows were scheduled to play Clinton-Massie on Monday, April 25 and Newton on Tuesday. They will host Mississinawa Valley on Wednesday and play at Union County (Ind.) on Friday.
South, now 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the WOAC, was scheduled to play Arcanum on Monday, April 25, Dixie on Tuesday before travelling to Tri-Village on Wednesday and hosting Stivers on Friday.
North has busy week
LEWISBURG – Tri-County North went 4-2 on the week to improve to 8-4 overall and 4-3 in the WOAC.
North began the week with an 8-1 win over Dixie on Tuesday, April 19. The Panthers scored twice in the first, two in the third, one in the fourth, two in the first and closed out the scoring with a run in the sixth.
Makenzie Lykins was 3-for-3 with two RBIs, while Angelia Depoy added two hits and drove in two runs. Gracie Hemp had two hits and scored two runs and Sadie Royer had a hit and two RBIs.
On Wednesday, North run-ruled rival Twin Valley South, 11-1 in six innings.
Lykins added three more hits and drove in a run. Depoy and Kailee Donohoo each had a hit and drove in two runs. Hannah Webster and Nicole Lefeld added two hits each.
South was held to two hits. Lauren Cole and Pieratt had the only hits for South.
North scored in each of the first four innings. The scored once in the first, four in the second, one in the third and three more in the fourth. They closed out the scoring with two in the sixth.
South’s lone run scored in the sixth.
On Thursday, North fell 6-2 at Newton.
The Indians scored five times in the bottom of the third to take a 5-1 lead and North never recovered.
North scored once in the third and one in the fourth.
Lykins had two hits and drove in a run. The Panthers had just five hits for the game.
On Friday, North beat Yellow Springs 15-2.
Taylor Cole homered and drove in three. Lykins had two hits and drove in two runs. Kasidi Daugherty, Hemp, Kora Lykins and Webster each had two hits.
North wrapped up the week with a doubleheader split with Brookville. North dropped game one 11-3 and claimed game two 4-2.
North was scheduled to play Mississinawa Valley on Monday and host Arcanum on Friday.
