Eddinger’s two home runs lift Rattan to state title
Alex Eddinger’s first two state tournament atbats were rough ones.
Her final two more than made up for the start.
The Rattan star blasted two home runs to help lift the Rams to an 8-2 win over Navajo and their second consecutive Class 3A state slowpitch championship Friday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
Rattan had to squeak through the tournament’s first two games on Wednesday, beating Apache and Caddo by a combined three runs.
In the 5-3 win over Apache in the opening round, Eddinger got off to a rocky start, popping up on the infield on each of her first two at bats.
“I think it was senioritis or senior jitters or something going on because she is the best pure hitter I’ve ever had come through Rattan,” Rams coach Paul Watts said of Eddinger.
“For her to do what she did Wednesday early for us kind of got her down. But we were fortunate enough to stay through the first game and get to the second one, and things started looking better and better. I guess the rainout might’ve done us some good and calmed her nerves because she came out today ready to hit.”
When Eddinger came up to the plate with her team trailing 1-0, she was looking to “hit the ball as hard” as she could.
She deposited the ball over the left-field wall.
Eddinger came up in the sixth with her team up 3-2 and did it again, this time a two-run shot to ignite a five-run inning and stretch the lead.
“I just wasn’t on my game hitting, I wasn’t on my game fielding (Wednesday),” Eddinger said. “I guess the nerves just kind of got to me. But it feels good to be back.”