Softball Recap: Pekin Comes Up Short

Pekin extended their losing streak to three on Friday, dropping their season record down to 9-9 in the process. They fell 6-1 to the Dunlap Eagles. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Eagles this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 12-0 back in April.

Pekin saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Taryn Didanato, who went 1-for-3 with one home run. Lily Towery also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.

As for Dunlap, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 15 of their last 16 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games.

On Dunlap's side, Kaitlyn Atkinson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up ten Ks. Atkinson has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Gabby Drake was incredible, firing off two home runs and four RBI while going 4-for-4. That's the most home runs she has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Madilynn Ramos, who went 1-for-3 with one home run.

We've got plenty of inter-conference action coming up soon. Pekin will challenge rival Washington at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Dunlap is set to take on their familiar foe Limestone at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The timing is sure in the Eagles' favor as the squad sits on seven straight wins at home while the Rockets have been banged up by three consecutive losses on the road.