photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Eudora seniors Reese Pattison, left, and Sam Claire are working to bring the school another state championship after back-to-back third-place finishes for the team.

Eudora softball pitcher Sam Claire has one gear: go. It’s an attribute that helped her become one of the top pitchers in the state with a 2.24 ERA and a 14-4 record.

But sometimes, when that gets her in trouble, catcher Reese Pattison is there to slow her down and get her back in frame. That relationship, built over three years of Eudora softball, has allowed the two to have as much individual success as they have team success.

“Sometimes I have to call time and go tell her, ‘Just take a breath,'” Pattison said. “That’s something I yell at her about a lot, to breathe.”

Both Claire and Pattison have spent their lives playing softball and knew of each other despite never playing with each other until freshman year. Claire moved from Kansas City to Eudora before her freshman year and started at Eudora High School. In that time, she relied on her new team whom she knew from club softball.

That freshman year is where Claire and Pattison got to know each other well. Claire split time in the circle with an older pitcher, but Pattison has started at catcher since her freshman year. That year also ended in a state championship, which the team hasn’t been able to accomplish since.

Eudora softball has placed third in the state in back-to-back years with Claire becoming the team’s ace. Now the team’s starting pitcher-catcher duo are rising seniors with one last shot at becoming state champions again.

Claire’s confidence rings through her pitching — it’s why she plays with the pace she does. But there’s a balance, with Pattison taking on a larger role in calling games and telling Claire what pitches to throw. The two have a strong relationship where they can make decisions between themselves on what pitches to throw. Pattison might make a call, but Claire might wave her off and throw something else.

Pattison appreciates the times that Claire does wave off a call, because she understands the importance of a pitcher knowing what she wants to throw. Confidence is important in many sports and positions, but it’s particularly crucial in a pressure position like pitcher.

Pattison sees things from a different angle than their coaches at the dugout. It’s easier for her to see when a batter is away from the plate in the batter’s box, which signals to Pattison to call for a curve ball because the batter won’t be able to touch it. Over the years her softball IQ has developed to where her coaches feel comfortable giving her more responsibility behind the plate. Claire said that she thinks that the team got a lot of its wins from Pattison’s ability to call the pitches.

“She’s really good about saying, ‘No, we don’t need to throw that here or on this count,'” Claire said. “She’s really good at reading the hitter. I get ahead of myself because I’m really competitive, so she’s good because she helps me slow down and stay locked in.”

Locked in is what the team expects to be this season, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have fun. Claire and Pattison said that they both work hard to incorporate the freshmen on the team and make them comfortable. The Cardinals have a strong bond built by their off field activities — like trips to Baskin-Robbins for ice cream after games — as much as their on-field play.

The Eudora class of 2025 led the team in its playoff run this past year. For those to-be seniors alongside Claire and Pattison, this final season is important. They reached the top with a state championship in their first year, and the group is ready for one final crack at the title. Pattison said that the bond is special throughout the roster.

“We can go undefeated in the regular season,” Claire said. “We want another state title so bad. We all want the same thing, which makes practices fun. We are the most loud, rowdy team, because we want that win.”