The Eastern Eagles will face off against the Manchester Greyhounds at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Eastern is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 11.1 runs per game this season.
Eastern took a ten-run loss the last time they faced off against Southern, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Eagles came out on top in a nail-biter against the Tornadoes on Friday, sneaking past 7-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Eagles have posted since April 17th.
Leah Rader
| 05/15/26 vs Southern | 2 |
| 04/21/26 @ Alexander | 1 |
| 04/20/26 vs South Gallia | 1 |
| 04/10/26 vs Oak Hill | 1 |
| 04/09/26 vs East | 1 |
Leah Rader made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off nine hits. Rader was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Libby Poorman, who went 1-for-2 with three stolen bases. Those three stolen bases gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Braelyn Bevins, who went 1-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Manchester unfortunately witnessed the end of their four-game winning streak on Thursday. They lost 16-6 to Fayetteville-Perry.
Manchester saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Elliana Applegate, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Mahayla Brown was another, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
Eastern's victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 19-7. As for Manchester, their defeat dropped their record down to 15-10.
Wednesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Eastern hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .386. However, it's not like Manchester struggles in that department as they've averaged .366. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
