COVINGTON, Ga. — The Eastside Lady Eagles are riding a six-game winning streak with their latest win coming Thursday at Jefferson downing the Lady Dragons 12-9. After topping Jefferson on the field, Eastside has now topped it in the region standings and is in fourth place.
However, just a few weeks ago against the same opponent, Eastside was in the middle of a losing skid.
The Lady Eagles walked off their home field after suffering a 6-2 loss against Jefferson on Aug. 16. That was their second straight Region 8-AAAAA loss and they were 2-4 overall.
Eastside was struggling at the plate, committing errors on defense and, overall, showing its inexperience with a young squad.
Since then, though, the skies have been brighter for Eastside and that was evident in its win during the Lady Eagles' second matchup against Jefferson this season.
Head coach Heather Wood said that the two games against Jefferson were symbolic of how the team struggled in the beginning and now has turned it around midway through this season.
“Early on, it showed areas we had to improve on and clean up,” Wood said. “And [beating Jefferson] shows the progress we’re making. [The players] have really started developing a stronger cohesiveness among the team and confidence.”
Two of the players who have been great benefactors all season long have been senior Emma Hopper and freshman Eva Davis.
Davis went 4.1 innings in the pitcher’s circle and got the win against Jefferson as the starter on Thursday.
She highlighted how she and her teammates entered the second game against Jefferson with a winning mentality.
“We didn’t want to lose again and, if we did, we would’ve lost the region round with them,” Davis said. “So, we dug in a little deeper this time and were more focused. We tried to do what was best for us to win.”
Hopper batted 2-for-4 at the plate and drove in two runs to help in beating Jefferson.
The first game, Hopper was out due to an illness, but she could even notice the difference in her team’s performance the second time around facing the Lady Dragons.
“I watched the first game online and [our batters] were not confident at the plate and there were mental errors,” Hopper said. “For the second game, it was sweet being with the team and we really came together for that win.”
But neither Davis, Hopper or Wood feel like the Lady Eagles have played their best game yet. They all recognized there are still some things to improve on, but that didn’t steal away from the joy of being on a six-game winning streak.
Now, the Lady Eagles are 8-4 overall with a 4-3 record in their region. And moving further into Region 8-AAAAA action, Wood has confidence in her team’s ability to grow and continue to challenge each opponent they face.
“We can compete with anyone in our region and it’s really up for grabs,” Wood said. “I’m just really proud of them and what they’ve been able to accomplish. We’re excited for how they’ve been playing.”
