Finishing in second place in Class AAAA has not put a damper on the Eastside softball program as they reflect on the year that was and turn their attention to what is next.

A 29-4 finish is one of the best in program history, and that sentiment is carried by head coach Heather Wood, who holds the 2024 team in high regard.

“This is one of the most complete teams I have ever coached,” Wood said. “We were able to utilize our full roster on a game-to-game basis and do whatever it takes to win that specific game. I think anyone can come in and deliver at any time and that's what makes coaching this team great. We have a great combination of not only talent, but chemistry as well.”

The team’s bond proved to be one of the Lady Eagles’ strengths as they battled through the season and into Columbus. With the season officially over, Wood reflected on the team’s playoff run and what it meant to the program in general.

“I think this is a huge accomplishment for our program and I could not be more proud of this team,” Wood said. “I think getting this far as we did in the postseason, I think there’s a lot we could take away from this season and I think finishing runner up really does boost the excitement and morale going into next season during the offseason as well.”

Wood credits the team’s bond in their efforts to get to the championship game in Columbus.

Eastside began the year with an 18-game win streak before falling to East Forsyth in a region contest. With the Lady Broncos only having one loss as well, this set up the two team to battle it out in a three-game series to decide the region championship.

The Lady Eagles bounced back from that lone loss by sweeping East Forsyth for the Region 8-AAAA title.

In the two rounds prior to Columbus, the Lady Eagles hosted Jones County and Perry.

Eastside split the first two games with Jones County before taking down the Lady Greyhounds in a deciding game three. In the second round, the Lady Eagles made quick work of Perry with a sweep to earn a spot in Columbus.

On the first day of Columbus, Eastside pulled out a tight 6-4 win over Central (Carrollton).

After falling to Harris County on day two, another loss meant elimination. With their backs against the wall, the Lady Eagles won three consecutive games (over Wayne County, Kell and Northside) to get to the championship game against the Lady Tigers.

“Winning that first game was key, it did give us some leeway, but after our first loss to Harris County I think we were really building off momentum from the Wayne County game being down five to zero,” Wood said. “I think that game was crucial. I think we are able to build momentum off that and go into the Kell game and of course advancing to Saturday.”

Getting to the postseason has become a habit for Eastside softball for several reasons. 

Wood started by giving the credit to her senior class.

Consisting of Anslee Saunchegraw, Kaela Lay and Emilie Jernigan, the Lady Eagles’ 2024 class had their fair share of Columbus experience.

“This is a senior group that has left their mark. They have made our program better,” Wood said. “This is a class that has been able to experience Columbus three seasons in a row. We have not done that since the year 2000. I am certainly going to miss Anslee and her leadership. She is a very team-oriented player and has grown so much as a player. I think all of our seniors have contributed over the years and they will certainly be missed.”

Another impactful change that Wood noted in 2024 was how the team lined up defensively.

After sharing time between catcher and infield in 2023, Saunchegraw spent most of senior season at third base. This came to fruition because of Cadence McCullough, who handled the catching duties for Eastside for the majority of the season.

“We put her [McCullough] in a lot of tough situations and seeing her grow as a player really meant a lot to us and allowed me to put other players in other defensive positions,” Wood said. “So I was able to utilize Anslee at third, I was able to use Allie Vaughn on the infield — that really helped our defense.”

Another key player for the Lady Eagles in 2024 also resided on the infield — the reigning region player of the year Donee Morain.

Morain started at shortstop almost all year and delivered when it came time for the postseason. Through six games in Columbus, Morain batted .524 with an on-base percentage of 1.505.

On the mound, Eva Davis and Kylee Lawrence were the go-to pitching duo for Wood.

Davis and Lawrence pitched in almost every game in Columbus. Although their arms were surely tired by the end of Columbus, Wood had nothing but great things to say about the pair of juniors who are both set to return in 2025.

“I think just speaking in terms of Columbus, I think that once we advanced to Saturday after playing two games the day before — including that 10 inning game — I just thought there wasn't an opportunity for our pitchers to rest and I think that played a big factor going into the final game,” Wood said. “Overall, I’m extremely happy with their performance all season long, and they've been very consistent. [They] always put us in a position to win the game.”

With a third straight trip to Columbus in the books, the page turns to the offseason and what is next for Eastside softball. Ultimately, it will look similar to 2024 as only three players graduate from this current team.

Despite the eventual departure of Saunchegraw, Lay and Jernigan, the Lady Eagles will be returning players such as Morain, Davis, Lawrence, Vaughn, McCullough, Savanna Griffin, Avery Jewell and Alyssa Hartman.

“This is a team that I think looks forward to postseason and I think getting as far as we did this year only sets the bar even higher for next season,” Wood said.