Warlassies wrangle 8-0 win on Senior Night

Easton Whitson homers in final regular season Swannanoa Valley appearance

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 29, 2026

The support from teammates, coaches and home fans greeted Owen senior Easton Whitson, April 29, as her family escorted her to the infield, minutes before the Warlassies hosted Mountain Heritage.

The program’s sole senior and team captain showed her gratitude in the third inning, launching a go-ahead home run in an 8-0 victory on Senior Night.

The Warlassies entered their final home game of the regular season after consecutive losses on the road to North Henderson and Enka. The reigning conference champions, however, remained undefeated in the Western Highlands Conference, entering the matchup against the third-place Cougars.

Teammates presented Whitson, who committed last November to the softball program at Francis Marion University, a gift basket that included cowboy boots, moments before the catcher received the first pitch from Kylie Gurekey. The teams were locked in a scoreless tie until the bottom of the third inning, when Whitson connected for her 6th home run of the season.

Junior shortstop Mia Roland extended the Owen lead with a grand slam in the fourth inning, increasing her season home run total to 13. The Warlassies added 3 runs in the subsequent frame to secure the victory.

Gurekey recorded 9 strikeouts and allowed 2 hits through 7 innings to improve to 9-3 in the pitcher’s circle this season. The Warlassies, with an overall record of 15-4 and 11-0 in the WHC, will travel to Mountain Heritage to close out the campaign, beginning at 5 p.m., Friday, May 1.

Photos of Owen softball senior night can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.