Softball Game Preview: Utica Redskins vs. Zanesville Blue Devils

The Utica Redskins will face off against the Zanesville Blue Devils at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with three consecutive losses for Utica and 22 for Zanesville dating back to last season.

On Tuesday, Utica didn't have quite enough to beat Grove City Christian and fell 12-11. That's two games in a row now that the Redskins have lost by just one run.

Kenzie Fletcher and Kaitlin Evans did some serious damage despite the final result: Fletcher went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs, while Evans got on base in four of her five plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Emily Meyers, who went 3-for-5 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base.

Meanwhile, Tuesday just wasn't the day for Zanesville's offense. They came up short against Ridgewood on Tuesday, falling 17-0.

Zanesville saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cyaira Wallace, who went 1-for-2 with one double.

Utica's defeat dropped their record down to 4-8. As for Zanesville, their loss dropped their record down to 0-12.

Zanesville's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Utica hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .341. It's a different story for Zanesville, though, as they've only averaged .082. Will they be able to contain Utica's hitters?

Utica came out on top in a nail-biter against Zanesville when the teams last played back in May of 2022, sneaking past 6-5. Will the Redskins repeat their success, or do the Blue Devils have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.