Softball Preview: Ida B. Wells Guardians vs. Cleveland Warriors
Ida B. Wells and Cleveland are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2018, but likely not for long. The Ida B. Wells Guardians will head out on the road to face off against the Cleveland Warriors at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Ida B. Wells took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They came out on top against Lincoln by a score of 11-6. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for Ida B. Wells considering their one-run performance the match before.
Samantha Stevens was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. Stevens was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 3-for-5.
In other batting news, Kaia Young was incredible, going 2-for-4 with a home run, six RBI, and a triple. Another player making a difference was Stella Fergeson, who scored two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Cleveland had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.5 runs), and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Roughriders 8-6.
The team relied heavily on Sara Cass, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. Annabel Sahler was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
Ida B. Wells now has a winning record of 11-10. As for Cleveland, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 12-13 record this season.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Ida B. Wells has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .445. However, it's not like Cleveland struggles in that department as they've averaged .437. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Ida B. Wells took their win against Cleveland when the teams last played two weeks ago by a conclusive 9-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for Ida B. Wells 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
