By DREW GRANTHUM/Sports Writer

MONTEVALLO — Hits and runs were hard to come by in the March 20 matchup between the Calera and Montevallo varsity softball teams, and they were a little harder to come by for the Dawgs thanks to a pitching gem by Calera’s Katie Eiland. Eiland’s two-hit, shutout performance led the Eagles to a 4-0 win.

Calera got on the board early, using a Shelby Wright double to score Shelby Clark and an Eiland groundout to score Charley Clark to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.

Montevallo looked poised to answer in the bottom of the second, as the Dawgs loaded the bases, but could not bring any runners across.

The Eagles added another run in the third when Skyler Laird scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0 in favor of Calera. Neither team managed to get on the board again until the top of the seventh. Laird scored again, this time on a Wright double to left to put the Eagles up 4-0.

The Bulldogs went three up, three down in the bottom of the seventh to seal the 4-0 win.

Calera head coach Chris McCrackin said he team needed the win headed into the Spring break holiday.

“The defense played really well,” he said. “The games that we’ve lost, we made just enough errors to lose. Today we didn’t make an error. It gives us a little momentum for the second half of the season, and hopefully we’ll start to peak at the right time.”

Wright paced the Eagles’ offense, going 4-for-4 at the plate with an RBI. On the mound, Eiland went all seven innings, issuing one walk and five strikeouts.

For the Bulldogs, Destiny Upton threw a complete game as well, surrendering four runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out six.

Calera will resume play against Chilton County High at home April 3, while Montevallo will take on Jemison, also on April 3.