by Wayne Lee Sports Editor
The Lady Eagles opened their softball season March 17 at U.S. Cellular Fields against visiting Wilsonville where they posted a 2-0 victory thanks to a complete game no-hitter by starting pitcher Brylee Leonardo. The entire game was decided in the bottom of the third inning.
Naomi Jackson led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a passed ball. Reese Zirkle walked to put runners at the conners. After a pair of strikeouts, Elaina Almaraz lashed a triple down the right field line to clear the bases and drive in the only runs of the game.
The Lady Eagles then hosted Grants Pass Mar. 19 in another non-league game and fell 8-5 to the Lady Cavers. Grants Pass jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a one-out single and an RBI double to right field. They scored two more in the third with the help of an error and a wild pitch.
Eagle Point came back in the bottom of the fourth when Riley Jacoby hit a one-out single to right and Kady Ledbetter followed with a monster home run to deep right field to make it a 3-2 ballgame. However, Grants Pass came back in the top of the fifth.
It began with a one-out double to left followed by an RBI single. A pop fly and a passed ball allowed another run to score and a triple to right field scored two more to put Grants Pass up 6-2.
The Lady Eagles responded with a rally of their own in the bottom half of fifth. Leonardo singled up the middle and Lilli Holcomb was hit by a pitch. Holcomb was replaced by Olivia Skogseth as a pinch runner. A pop out followed by a sacrifice fly to center moved the runners to second and third. Jacoby lashed an RBI single to left to make it a 6-3 ballgame and Grants Pass wanted nothing to do with Ledbetter after her home run and walked her on four straight pitches to load the bases.
Allison Martin then stepped to the plate and smacked a two-run single to make it a 6-5 game. However, the Lady Cavers were able to plate two more runs in the sixth and hold on for an 8-5 victory.
Jacoby led Eagle Point going 3×4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Martin was 2×3 with a double and two RBI and Ledbetter had the two-run homer. Leonardo went the distance throwing 141 pitches, 98 for strikes. She gave up eight runs (six earned) on 12 hits but struck out 11 while giving up just one walk.
Baseball
The Eagles baseball team opened up their season with a non-league game against visiting South Medford Mar. 19 where they dropped a 5-2 decision to the Panthers.
It was a pitching duel for six full innings as the two teams battled to a scoreless tie. It wasn’t until the top of the seventh when a batter hit by a pitch and a single to right gave South Medford runners at first and second. The next batter hit an RBI single up the middle. The Panthers then executed a one-out bunt to advance the runners and an infield ground out allowed another run to score and suddenly the Panthers were up 2-0.
The Eagles responded in their half of the inning as Nathan Mallari led off with a single but was forced out at second on a ground ball by Ryan McFall. Skylar Tribur followed with a single up the middle and Collin Stockton hit a hard line drive up the third base line scoring McFall. With two out and Tribur on third, a wild pitch allowed him to score and send the game into extra innings.
Unfortunately, South Medford led off the eighth inning with three consecutive singles and followed with a one-out double to center that put them ahead 4-2. They then added another run allowing the runner on third to score to make it a 5-2 ballgame, and that’s how it ended.
Mallari and Cooper White each went 2×4 and Stockton had the team’s only RBI. He also took the loss in relief, pitching just one inning but giving up three runs on four hits.
Flag Football
Yes, there’s a new sport in town and it’s girls flag football. It was first introduced last year and is undergoing a three-year trial much like girls wrestling did several years ago. The OSAA creates a three-year trial period to gauge the interest of Oregon schools before moving forward to create leagues, schedules and playoffs.
March 20 marked the debut of the Eagle Point High School Flag Football Team. The Lady Eagles hosted Springfield in their season opener where they scored an early touchdown for a 6-0 lead but never found the end zone again as they lost 27-6.
In flag football contact is frowned upon. Simply swatting away the hand of a defender trying to grab your flag is a penalty for illegal contact. Also, the field in shorter and narrower, it is played with a running clock and you need 20 yards to get a first down among other differences. There isn’t yet a formal league. There are 4A, 5A and 6A schools all playing one another in a loose schedule that features mostly doubleheaders. The Eagles will play again at home against Grants Pass on March 30, 6 p.m. come on out and support the new team.
