FARMVILLE – Solid on defense, but searching for consistency at the plate. It's become a familiar story angle for the Prince Edward County High School softball team.

This year is no exception. Though they're 2-7 overall, and 2-2 in the Southside District, most of the Lady Eagles' losses have been rather close.

“We've played some decent softball,” said PE head coach Marvin Meadows. “Our defense has come around, but we're just not hitting the ball.”

For the Lady Eagles, it's another season where the most frustrating aspect is in the final result. Close non-district losses to Randolph-Henry and Buckingham (a 3-1 defeat in the second meeting between the two teams), coupled with a 4-0 loss to Nottoway in nine innings, highlights PE's close calls.

“We had a chance to beat Nottoway a couple of times, but couldn't get it in. Then, we went to that international tiebreaker rule. They were able to score four runs, and we couldn't answer. You look at the scores and figure that we could easily be 3-1.”

Prince Edward's Tuesday afternoon game against Greensville was rained out after two innings, and wet field conditions prevented the teams from playing Wednesday's contest. Meadows said that chances are that the game will be made up as a doubleheader in Emporia.

“I have to remind myself that we're relatively young in a lot of key positions. They're coming around, but we have some lapses that can really only be explained by inexperience. Having Allison [Dalton] pitching really helps us defensively.

“Offensively, we've got a way to go, and I'm not sure if we're going to get there. The key is finding a way to get Sarina [Eames] on base. In games where she gets on base, we've been able to score some runs. If we could get one or two solid hitters, that would go a long way.”

Last year, Prince Edward was in a similar situation in regards to its standing in the district. A late-season charge helped the Lady Eagles earn a spot in the four-team Southside District Tournament.

“We got hot toward the end of last year. It was a testament to how hard they worked, and maybe we can do that this year, but we've got to score some runs. Nobody has ever won a game with a zero on the board.

“If we can find a way to get two or three runs, with Allison on the mound, I like our chances.”

After Easter Break, the Lady Eagles will travel to Park View on Thursday, April 28, and will host Fluvanna in a non-district game on May 2.