Zoe Sartin makes the catch at first base as Honaker’s Candence Rose (13) sprints down the first base line.
By ANTHONY STEVENS
EMORY (June 3, 2026) – There’s an old adage in softball. You can’t win if you can’t score. Honaker did about all it could do against senior Spartan pitcher Emma Sartin, but it wasn’t enough. The Tigers were shut out for only the second time this season, suffering a 4-0 setback to defending region and Class 1 state champion Eastside.
“We played a good game. They only outhit us 5-4,” said Honaker coach Donovan Helton. “A couple of errors cost us, and an injury (to right fielder Peyton Marshall) shook us a bit. We put the bat on the ball pretty well against a quality pitcher. The thing that made me proud was that we didn’t quit.”
When Honaker (15-8) put a runner on, Sartin was up to the task. She got a strikeout when she needed it, finishing with 12 Ks and didn’t walk a batter in the game at Wasps Field on Wednesday.
Jailey Yates (15) slides into third safely with a triple for the Tigers as Eastside’s Mallory Durham awaits the ball.
Sartin won her 20th game in the circle this season and has a minuscule 0.52 earned run average.
“Emma is a leader at the plate and in the circle. I can’t say enough about her,” noted Eastside coach Suzi Atwood. “Emma is a humble, good kid.”
In the second inning, the Tigers’ most promising scoring opportunity arose when Jailey Yates hit a triple to deep right-center with two outs. Sartin then struck out the following batter to end the inning.
“My team backed me up with four runs, so I felt pretty confident,” remarked Sartin. “The main thing is knowing I’m in control. I’m confident in my ability. My team is all excellent fielders. I just have to take a deep breath and work hard.”
Eastside (21-5) got all the runs they would need in the bottom of the inning. Peyton VanWinkle was hit by a pitch. Alexis Nixon then lofted a two-run homer just over the left-field fence.
“I had just told her, get on top of the ball, let’s not have any fly balls,” commented Atwood. “Lexi hit it in the air, and I thought, darn. But I was like, wait, I about had a heart attack. It was great to see. I’m glad she didn’t listen to me.”
The Spartans added a run in the third when sister Zoe Sartin singled and scored an unearned run after an error and a groundout by VanWinkle.
They added another unearned run in the sixth when Nixon walked and scored after a sacrifice bunt was thrown away.
Honaker’s Lincoln Bush attempts a slap hit in the loss to the Spartans.
The Tigers had been getting clutch hits and solid defense during their four-game postseason winning streak.
“We’ve been getting those hits we needed up until this game; we had been seeing the ball well,” Helton stated. “We had been playing error-free. To win a regional championship, you have to play error-free and get clutch hits. That didn’t happen, but we live to fight another day.”
Yates had two hits, and Aliyah Hilton and Gracie Shelton added the other safeties for Honaker.
The Tigers will travel to face Region C champion Auburn next Tuesday (6/9/26), while Eastside will host George Wythe at UVa-Wise. The Honaker game will be played at Christiansburg High School with the first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m.
“I thought we played well today,” Atwood said. “We knew coming in that Honaker would hit the ball and put it in play, and we would have to make some plays. Honaker is a good team. I’m sure they will do well in their next game.”
Eastside 4, Honaker 0
Honaker000 000 0—0 4 2
Eastside021 001 X—4 5 0
Shelton and Campbell. E. Sartin and Vanwinkle. W—E. Sartin (20-3). L—Shelton (12-7). HR—Nixon (E), 2nd, one on.
