Harvard‘s Leona Eichholz cherished every moment with big sister Tallulah during their one high school season together last spring.

Leona, now a 5-foot-10 sophomore, and Tallulah, a freshman at Belmont, stay in touch all the time. This year, Leona took her sister’s old high school number – No. 10 – as a way to stay closer.

“Part of me went away to college with her,” Leona Eichholz said. “We call, we text. She’s very supportive, and she’s always there for me. She’s always rooting for me, I’m always rooting for her.”

Tallulah certainly would approve of her sister’s performance Thursday. Leona struck out 15 and drilled a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning as the visiting Hornets defeated Richmond-Burton 7-0 in the teams’ Kishwaukee River Conference game.

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Harvard's Kendra Cunningham and Harvard's Kristi Knop celebrates as Harvard scores in the seventh inning to extend their lead ver Richmond-Burton during a Kishwaukee River Conference softball game on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Richmond-Burton High School. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver — Shaw Media)

Eichholz had to work out of trouble early as small-ball minded R-B (5-8, 0-2 KRC) put a runner in scoring position in each of the first four innings. All four times she ended the threat with a strikeout.

“Pressure kind of feeds into my energy,” said Eichholz, who was an All-State Class 3A second-teamer as a freshman, recording a 1.39 ERA and striking out 154 over 80⅔ innings. “And I know my teammates have my back.”

The things Eichholz can do with her arm and her bat aren’t a surprise to Harvard coach Becky Edinger.

“Wow ... I’m not quite sure what her ceiling is,” Edinger said of Eichholz, who pitched on the Team USA U-15 National Team. “She stays calm, and she’s able to read hitters very well. We just ask that she’s confident with each pitch she throws, and she really is. She’s just good at being in the moment. I very rarely see her get rattled because she does the work and knows what she needs to do.”

Eichholz, who scattered five hits and walked none, doesn’t lack in the power department, either.

With the game scoreless to start the top of the sixth, Eichholz drove a 2-1 pitch from Rockets senior pitcher Chase Cooper far over the centerfield fence. That was the only run needed for Eichholz, who allowed one baserunner – a leadoff double by Rebecca Lanz (2 for 3) in the sixth – in the final three innings.

R-B’s leadoff hitter – freshman Ruby Gregurich (1 for 3, steal) and junior Jocelyn Hird (1 for 3, two steals) – reached base in the first two innings on base hits, and the Rockets got a runner to third in three of the first four innings against Eichholz.

“When you face a pitcher with talent like she has, every run matters,” R-B coach Tylar Stanton said. “We talk about being a first-inning team. Of the five wins we have, we’ve scored in the first inning in all of them. That’s the philosophy. We’ve kind of shifted from being maybe a more power-centric offense to more of a small-ball, scrappy offense.

“(Eichholz) hits her spots and plays a very confident role in the circle. I think early on we kind of shook her confidence a bit. We needed to execute those situations if she were to miss on a pitch, or she throws a change and we’re ready for it. We just didn’t handle the situation properly.”

Harvard (3-1, 2-0) collected 10 hits against Cooper (7 IP, 6 ER, 10 K, 3 BB) and broke the game open with a five-run seventh. Kara Knop (2 for 4) provided a two-run single in the frame, and Ava Brennecka (2 for 4) and Kendra Cunningham had one RBI each. An inning earlier, Manhatyn Brincks had an RBI groundout following a triple by Grace Nellessen.

Knop, a junior first baseman, said the Hornets’ nice start has everyone excited.

“They’re killing it. I’m so proud of my team,” Knop said. “We’re together like a family, and we’re just really connected. We’re out there, talking to each other, picking each other up. When we get into the dugout, we’re giving and taking feedback. We’re just trying to put it all together on the field for each other.”

The Hornets’ No. 8 and 9 hitters – Nayeli Sanchez and Kimberly Morales – were a combined 3 for 5 with two walks, each scoring a run in the seventh.

“So proud of them. The last couple of years we’ve really been focusing on our bats, and this year we’ve really been hitting it hard,” Edinger said. ”Just with our approach and being confident up there. Being able to step in there, clear our minds and just play the game. It’s a simple game, and they’re starting to see the ball. I’m excited to see them all continue to grow."

After taking third in the KRC last year, the Hornets believe they have the talent to win it.

“Our big goal is to win the KRC title,” Eichholz said. “That’s like our dangling carrot. And just celebrate the little wins. Little wins are the big things. We just want them to keep adding them up.”