After coming up empty-handed in the first two innings of play, the Eastlake Wolves softball team changed the course of their April 18 game against the Issaquah Eagles in the bottom of the third inning.

Eastlake sophomore Sophia Robinson connected on a two-run home run to left field to give her team a 2-0 lead against the Eagles. Then Eastlake senior Cassie Carter blasted a solo homer over the left field fence in the bottom of the sixth, extending their lead to 3-0.

The Eagles scored one run in the top of the seventh and threatened to add more, with runners on first and third bases with two outs. But Eastlake pitcher Julie Graf struck out Issaquah’s Kendall Gentzen to end the game, clinching Eastlake’s 3-1 win at home.

The Wolves improved to an 8-3 overall season record with the win, while the Eagles dropped to 6-6. Graf, who surrendered just three hits and allowed no earned runs, struck out 14 Issaquah hitters in Eastlake’s eighth victory of the 2016 season. Temperatures hovered in the upper 80 degrees for most of the contest, but had no adverse consequences on Eastlake’s ace hurler.

“It affected us a little bit but we just kept our head in it and got the job done,” Graf said. “Every win is a good win. It feels good.”

Graf said she was impressed with Robinson’s blast of a home run in the third.

“It was awesome,” Graf said. “She has been hitting the ball really well. I still don’t think [that home run has] landed yet.”

Eastlake head coach Stephanie Fox concurred with Graf’s assessment.

“That was huge,” Fox said. “That went from a 0-0 ballgame to a 2-0 ballgame. That really helped us get some momentum.

“The girls were working really hard on making adjustments at the plate and then Cassie Carter gets up there and hits another home run. That insurance run really helped us out going into the seventh inning.”

Fox said she is a huge fan of Graf’s meticulous approach to the game.

“She worked her tail off in the off-season and it shows,” she said. “I’m really proud of her. We are really utilizing her riseball this year.”

Fox, who is in her second season as the Wolves’ head coach, said she is thrilled with the way her team is coming together this season. The Wolves are in the hunt for the Class 4A KingCo regular season title.

“I just have to tip my hat to them,” Fox said. “I just got chills … even bringing it up because they have come together as a team so much. They have each other’s backs and they truly care about each other and play like it. They just play as a team.”