The Keota Eagle softball team took the losing end of a pitchers duel in their first road contest of the 2025 season last night in a 4-1 final against the HLV/Tri-County Warriors in a game heard live on the KCII3 Stream.

With the game scoreless through the first two frames, Keota would find the scoreboard first in the top of the third on an RBI single by eighth grader Adyson Miller that brought in freshman Cameron Haifley. However, the Warriors would find the response in the bottom half with an unearned run after an error by shortstop Elyse Lyle that allowed HLV-TC baserunner Ayla Hall to tie the contest. The game would stay deadlocked at 1-1 until the bottom half of the sixth when the Warrior lineup solved the puzzle that was Eagle pitcher Jessalyn Aller. HLV-TC would plate three in their half of the inning after a leadoff single by Ema Roberts followed by back-to-back RBI doubles from pitcher Lily Randall to score Roberts and Erilea Kupka’s two-bag knock to bring in Randall. Down to their last three outs in the top half of the seventh, a strikeout and a pop out to first baseman Raegan Molyneux seemingly put Keota down-and-out. With one out left to work with, Lyle would deliver a deep knock to center field to put herself in scoring position. In what would seal their fate, the next play saw a Haifley popup that was hauled in in foul territory by catcher Abbi Tharp to give the Warriors the gritty home win.

Unofficially, Keota scored one run on three hits, committed three errors and batted in one. HLV-TC scored four runs on three hits, no errors and two RBI. They were led by Kupka and Randall’s combined 2/5 night with a double, RBI and run each. Randall got the win in the circle, tossing a complete game allowing the lone earned run on three hits, six walks and eight punchouts. Lyle led the way for Keota going 1/3 with a double. Miller had the only RBI of the night for the Eagles. Aller took the loss in the circle, spinning her complete game tally of allowing four runs on three hits, two earned, one walk and eight Ks in her second career varsity start. Aller was named Washington County Hospital and Clinics Player of the Game for Keota live on the Area Game of the Week postgame show.

With the win, HLV-TC is now 2-0 and will face North Mahaska back at home Friday, while Keota will travel to Montezuma that evening coming off of their first road loss of the season. The Area Game of the Week returns tonight with its first visit to Columbus Junction of the season for a softball matchup between the home Wildcats and the WACO Warriors.