Softball Preview: Hazen Highlanders vs. Bellevue Wolverines
Hazen is 1-6 against Bellevue since March of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Hazen Highlanders will be playing in front of their home fans against the Bellevue Wolverines at 4:00 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Last Friday, Hazen came up short against Liberty and fell 9-6. Hazen has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Hazen saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sofia Ayala Ayala-cordova, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4. Ayala Ayala-cordova has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in six consecutive pitching appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Keegan Castro, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Bellevue suffered a tough 25-12 loss at the hands of Mercer Island on Friday.
Ava Warner was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Alexis DeBoer, who scored a run while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Hazen now has a losing record at 5-6. As for Bellevue, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-10.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Hazen has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .475. However, it's not like Bellevue struggles in that department as they've averaged .488. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hazen was able to grind out a solid victory over Bellevue when the teams last played back in March, winning 14-9. Does Hazen have another victory up their sleeve, or will Bellevue turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
