Softball Recap: Eastside Comes Up Short

Eastside extended their losing streak (dating back to last season) to 18 on Friday, dropping them down to 0-14. They came up short against the North Marion Colts, falling 17-2. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Colts this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 16-0 back in February.

Jayla Lane made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, one triple, and one run.

As for North Marion, their win ended a 17-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 4-16. 17 seems to be a good number for them as the team scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.

On North Marion's side, Hayden Erickson made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out 12 batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. Those 12 strikeouts gave Erickson a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That RBI marked the first that she has brought in this season.

In other batting news, North Marion got a massive performance out of Olivia Pierce, who went a perfect 5-for-5 with four stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. Those five hits gave Pierce a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Hadliegh Young, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Eastside will take on Cedar Key at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for North Marion, they will challenge Newberry at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. The Colts' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Panthers have averaged an impressive 6.7 runs per game this season.