Lady Cruisers Drop Two Close Games at Home, Look to Regroup Ahead of Tough Road Swing

The Eatonville Lady Cruisers saw a pair of late-game rallies come up short last week, falling in back-to-back home contests despite strong performances at the plate.

Eatonville's Amy Tozier is greeted by her teammates at home plate after she slugged a two-run home run in the first inning in the Cruisers game against Orting. Photo: Heather Quirie

On Wednesday, April 2, Eatonville hosted the Washington Patriots and appeared to be in control for much of the game. The Cruisers built an 11-7 lead heading into the final frame behind a steady offensive showing, but a dramatic late-inning surge by the Patriots flipped the script. Washington scored five unanswered runs in the top of the seventh to hand Eatonville a heartbreaking 12-11 loss.

Aubree Mills led the Cruisers offensively, going 2-for-4 with a double and four RBIs. Lila Downey matched Mills with two hits of her own, including a double, and drove in three runs. Zoe Burns also chipped in with two hits as the Cruisers combined for eight total hits on the day. Despite the offensive firepower, the team couldn’t hold off Washington’s late rally.

Just two days later, on Friday, April 4, the Cruisers returned to their home field for a rivalry matchup against the Orting Cardinals. Eatonville once again found itself in a tight battle but had to play catch-up this time. Trailing 13-7 heading into the seventh, the Cruisers rallied with a four-run burst, but their comeback effort came up just short as they dropped their second straight one-run game, 13-11.

Amy Tozier provided the biggest spark for Eatonville, going 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBIs. Morgan Laird also contributed at the plate, collecting two hits and driving in a pair. The offense continued to show life, but defensive lapses and timely hitting by Orting proved to be the difference.

With the losses, Eatonville drops to 0-2 on the week, both games slipping away in the final inning. The team will now turn their attention to a critical road stretch as they try to regroup.

The Lady Cruisers hit the road on Monday, April 7, for a key matchup against league-leading Franklin Pierce, followed by a Tuesday clash in Fife against the second-place Trojans. With two of the league’s top teams on deck, Eatonville will look to tighten up defensively and carry their offensive momentum into a much-needed bounce-back week.