EATON — For Eaton’s softball team the postseason motto has been “one game at a time” but the Eagles also have their sights set to do something no other softball team in the history of the program has done and that’s to reach the district finals.
Eaton’s off to a good start after blowing past Dayton Belmont 18-0, in five-innings, in the Division II sectional opener on Wednesday, May 10, then rule-ruling Dayton Carroll, 11-1, also in five-innings on May 11.
“Going into the Belmont game we hadn’t played in nine days. I was worried we might be stale and have no energy but we were the complete opposite, we were focused and energized,” Eaton coach Maggie Neanen said. “We had 21 hits in 30 at bats. We were able to take a big lead and get younger kids in who need to start experiencing tournament game mentality.”
Eaton jumped on the Bison early, scoring 12 runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Emily Dungan went 4-for-4. Annika Gels went 3-for-4 with five RBIs and two doubles. Becca Mowen went 4-for-4 with four RBIs and two doubles. Bailey Shepherd went 2-for-4, including her first career home run and two RBIs and Bailee Worley went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks.
Against Carroll, Eaton jumped out to an early lead again and never looked back. The Eagles scored seven times in the first inning and added three more in the third for a 10-1 lead.
Worley was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Dungan added two hits, including a double and scored three runs. Mowen was 1-for-1 with a home run and three RBIs. Logan Unger and Grace Miller each added a pair of hits.
“The past week at practice we have been real focused on taking tournament one game at a time and not looking ahead and that showed,” Neanen said.
The Eagles, now with a school record 18 wins, are just one win away from reaching the district championship game. The 18 wins surpasses last season’s win total of 17, a season in which Eaton reached the sectional final for the first time in more than a decade.
Eaton, the No. 4 seed, was scheduled to play No. 6 Chaminade Julienne on Tuesday in the sectional final. If the Eagles win they will advance to Friday’s district championship at West Carrollton.
