Missing several key players due to injury, the Eastside Lady Eagles soccer team was overpowered by the visiting Walnut Grove Lady Warriors Tuesday afternoon at Sharp Stadium, falling 4-0 to its region rival.

The Lady Eagles were without starting forward Becka McKelvey, who sat with a knee injury. Also out for the Lady Eagles was starting goalie Brooke Arwood, who sprained an ankle last week against Lumpkin County. Arwood was replaced by emergency goalie Alex Morvik, who filled in for Arwood against the Lady Indians last week.

Eastside hung with the Lady Warriors early, but a defensive lapse by the Lady Eagles allowed Walnut Grove’s forward Sydney Vadney to score, putting the Lady Warriors up 1-0 at the 28:36 mark in the first half.

Walnut Grove’s Zariyah Scott scored just before halftime as Eastside was out of position on a free kick after a Lady Eagles’ foul with 18.4 second left in the period, carrying a 2-0 lead into the break.

In the second half, Eastside’s defense played better, but the Lady Eagles just couldn’t generate any offense as Walnut Grove’s defense thwarted any and all of the Lady Eagles’ offensive rushes.

Less than four minutes into the second half, Lady Warriors’ forward Dallas Jones intercepted an Eastside pass, streaked down the left side of the field and drilled a shot past Morvik, putting Walnut Grove up 3-0.

Jones repeated the feat at the 16:41 mark of the final period on an almost identical play. Jones got behind the Eastside defense, received a pass and took the ball in alone and scored for the final 4-0 margin of victory.

The Lady Eagles hope to bounce back in region action Friday at home at 5:30 p.m. against Chestatee.