ATTLEBORO — Attleboro High senior softball slugger Lauren Eby will join four other area softball and baseball players this weekend at the third annual “A Shot for Life” home run and pitching derbies at Austin Prep High School.
Joining Eby at the plate for the softball home run derby is North Attleboro High’s Kelly Colleran and King Philip’s Libby Walsh, with the three facing off in a group of 17 total star players selected from across the state. Both Colleran and Eby participated in last year’s competition.
In addition to the home run derby will be the first annual pitchers challenge, which will include two area participants, Colleran and Norton High’s Bella Vittorini, along with 10 non-area participants.
Bishop Feehan High’s Sean Stephenson will compete against 16 others in the “A Shot for Life” baseball home run derby. Stephenson competed in last year’s event also. His older brother, Zach Stephenson, won the event in 2020. Ryan Gerety of Franklin High will also compete in the derby.
All contests are organized by “A Shot for Life,” a charity organization that holds athletic contests to raise funds for cancer research.
Eby, who has been playing softball for 11 years and has committed to playing for Rhode Island College, said that the derby is important to her for two reasons: her interest in cancer research and her love of her sport.
“My grandpa died of pancreatic cancer when I was only eight years old,” Eby said. “He was actually a great softball player too. The only thing that I really miss was that my grandpa never got to see me hit a home run.”
The events will take place over two days at Austin Prep in Reading, with the baseball events on Saturday and the softball events taking place Sunday.
Donators can contribute to A Shot for Life at ashotforlife.org. All funds raised will go to the Curry Research Laboratory at Mass. General Hospital.
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