Softball Preview: Parkwood Wolf Pack vs. Central Academy Cougars
Parkwood is 9-1 against Central Academy since April of 2016, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Parkwood Wolf Pack will head out on the road to square off against the Central Academy Cougars at 6:00 p.m. Parkwood is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 9.2 runs per game this season.
Parkwood is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering Piedmont just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Tuesday. They suffered a rough 10-4 defeat at the hands of the Panthers.
Grayce Marvel was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with two runs and a triple. Another player making a difference was Eva Creech, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Pine Lake Prep typically has all the answers at home, but on Wednesday Central Academy proved too difficult a challenge. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 win over the Pride. The victory was nothing new for Central Academy as they're now sitting on three straight.
Addison Crawford spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered one run (which was unearned) on three hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in five consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Kieryn Peters was excellent, scoring a run while going 3-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Ella Storey, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Parkwood's loss ended a five-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 11-5. As for Central Academy, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games, which provided a nice bump to their 11-8 record this season.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Parkwood has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .478. However, it's not like Central Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .441. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Parkwood's way against Central Academy in their previous meeting back in March as Parkwood made off with a 9-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Parkwood since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
