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Eastside pushed single runs across in the third and fourth innings and junior pitcher Natalie Lower made them stand up as the Blazers earned a 2-1 victory over North Posey in the Class 2A state championship game.

Lilli Cline tripled leading off the third inning and scored on a squeeze bunt for the first run before Mataya Bireley was hit-by-pitch leading off the fourth and later scored on a squeeze bunt by Grace Kreischer to provide the Eastside scoring.

Lower, meanwhile, scattered six hits and walked only one and allowed just one run in the top of the seventh to finish the victory.

The win for first-year coach Brennen Kitchen gives the Blazers (29-1) their second state title, with the first coming back in 1998.

Coach Gary Gentil’s Vikings (24-2) were seeking their first state title in their third finals appearance. Lauren Kihn scored the NP run after leading off the seventh with a single and the Vikings had the potential tying run at second base before Lower recorded a strikeout and coaxed a ground ball for the final outs.

Haley Lowe had two hits for North Posey.

Eastside's Skyelar Kessler earns Mental Attitude Award
At the conclusion of the game, Skyelar Kessler of Eastside High School was announced as the recipient of the Mental Attitude Award for Class 2A Softball.

The award is annually presented to a senior participant in the state finals who best demonstrates mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability and is nominated by her principal and coach.

Skyelar Kessler is the daughter of Brian and Nichole Kessler of Butler, IN and will attend Indiana University in the fall to being studying Biology. She plans to become a medical laboratory technician with the goal of becoming a medical laboratory scientist.

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance presented a $1,000 scholarship to Eastside High School in the name of Skylar Kessler.