Softball Recap: Eastlake Comes Up Short

Eastlake extended their losing streak to three on Monday, dropping their season record down to 16-8-1 in the process. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 4-2 heartbreaker at the hands of the Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Crusaders this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 5-2 last Wednesday.

Mackenzie Olshenskie was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one triple and one run. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Bryn Grayson, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.

As for Mater Dei Catholic, the victory was the eighth in a row for them, bringing their record up to 20-5. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games.

On Mater Dei Catholic's side, Arri Romero made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. Romero was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with four RBI and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March.

In other batting news, Bella Harris was excellent, going 3-for-4 with two runs and two doubles. That's the most doubles she has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Lilia Alpuche, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one double.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Eastlake will square off against Bonita Vista at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The Barons' pitching crew has only allowed 1.8 runs per game this season, so the Titans' hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for Mater Dei Catholic, they will face off against Otay Ranch at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (the Crusaders 2.8, the Mustangs 3.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.