SOFTBALL
Class 1
Eastside (25-2) vs. George Wythe (9-13)
Monday, 6 p.m.
At UVa-Wise
The Skinny: Eastside has made it a habit of playing softball in June since the school was born from the consolidation of Coeburn and St. Paul in the fall of 2011. The Spartans are in the VHSL state tournament for the eighth time (2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2014, 2013, 2012). They won it all in 2012 and finished as state runner-up to Rye Cove a year ago. … Eastside suffered back-to-back shutout losses to Twin Springs and J.I. Burton at midseason, but the Spartans have reeled off 13 straight victories since. The Spartans stopped Honaker (4-0), Holston (9-0) and J.I. Burton (12-1) to win the Region 1D tournament. “I think our bats have come alive and I hope that continues,” said Eastside coach Suzi Atwood. “The girls are working hard and have been focused.” … Pitchers Braelyn Hall and Emma Sartin are the tone-setters for Eastside. A Middle Tennessee State University signee, Hall has thrown 24 consecutive scoreless innings. Sartin is a North Carolina-Greensboro commit and is an elite hitter as well. “Eastside is a really good team with great pitching,” said GW coach Amber Faulkner. “Emma Sartin has proven she’s one of the best pitchers in the state.” … While Eastside is a powerhouse of a program, George Wythe is a state tournament neophyte as this marks the first-ever state tournament appearance for the Maroons. The program debuted in 1996. … Sophomore Emma Faulkner (.383, 19 runs, 12 stolen bases), sophomore Caroline Harris (.375, three home runs, 12 RBIs), freshman Morgan Layne (.339, 12 RBIs) and junior Jadelyn Faulkner (.303, one homer, 18 RBIs) are the top hitters for GW. “I know that George Wythe is very athletic and are really hot right now,” Atwood said. “They have been putting up some great numbers at the end of the season.” … George Wythe beat Pioneer District champion Eastern Montgomery (13-2) and avenged two earlier losses to Grayson County (8-2) in the Region 1C tournament before dropping a 4-2 decision to Auburn in the finals. “We are really proud of our girls,” Amber Faulkner said. “The regional finals could have gone either way. We had some missed opportunities, but the girls continue to show that they’re resilient and never give up.”
Up Next: The winner plays either Buffalo Gap or Lancaster on Friday at 10 a.m. in the state semifinals at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem.