Softball Game Preview: Eastern Eagles vs. Clay Panthers

Eastern hasn't had much luck against Clay recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Eagles will be playing in front of their home fans against the Panthers at 5:00 p.m.

Monday just wasn't the day for Eastern's offense. They lost 7-0 to Northwest on Monday. Having soared to a lofty 28 runs in the game before, the Eagles' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.

Meanwhile, Clay made easy work of Oak Hill on Friday and carried off a 15-2 victory. Considering the Panthers have won 13 matchups by more than seven runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.

Laney Shepherd was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Shepherd was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run. That's the most RBI she has posted over her last 13 contests.

In other batting news, Elin Shaw was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and three runs. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April. Maddie Penix was another key player, going 1-for-2 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.

Clay is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 11 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for Eastern, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-7.

Eastern beat Clay 5-1 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.