It can be easy to dismiss Connell as just senior pitcher Debbie Molsbarger and a bunch of eaglets.
After all, Molsbarger is a two-time SCAC East MVP who is 13-0 this season with a 0.61 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 80 innings -- not to mention a .585 batting average and 21 RBIs.
And yes, the Eagles are a young bunch this year, with three sophomores and a freshmen playing key roles in the lineup.
But these Eagles are once again flying high in the East, having already clinched the division title with one more round of doubleheaders left to play. They're hitting .483 as a team and have combined to strike out just 20 times in 15 games.
"We're not hitting the ball out of the yard, and while Debbie keeps us in most games, this team is hitting the ball well," said coach Andy Sawyer.
The Eagles rely on veteran leadership from seniors Yessenia Vergara (.527, 16 RBIs) and Eva Grassl (.354) and youngsters such as sophomores Kayla Bjorge (.517) and Kate Hawk (.449, 10 RBIs), who were both first-team all-leaguers as freshmen last year.
"Kayla has developed into one of the best slap hitters in the area," Sawyer said. "And Kate and Eva are our other pitchers. We have to give Debbie enough work to ride us through state, but we'll give both of them some work this weekend (at the Royal tournament) and against Burbank (in the season finale)."
--- The CBBN 3A district tournament starts Saturday in Yakima with Sunnyside playing Hanford in the first game at 11 a.m., with the winner then taking on West Valley. The two teams that survive Saturday's play will meet a week from Saturday to determine regional seeding. ... Waitsburg-Prescott is the top seed from the Southeast 2B South Division into the district tournament May 22 in the Tri-Cities.
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CONNELL -- The Connell football team needed someone to make a big play Friday and Kade Eppich was more than happy to do so.
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