Softball Preview: Woodhaven Warriors vs. Allen Park Jaguars
The Woodhaven Warriors will be staying on the road on Thursday to face off against the Allen Park Jaguars at 4:30 p.m. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Saturday, Woodhaven earned a 6-1 win over Lakeland.
Natilee Pridemore was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She pitched seven innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Pridemore has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in four consecutive pitching appearances. Pridemore was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
Pridemore wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Grace Usher, who scored a run while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Brooke Taylor, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Allen Park can now show off 12 landslide victories after their most recent game on Wednesday. They beat Taylor by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 15-0. The victory was nothing new for Allen Park as they're now sitting on four straight.
Like Woodhaven, Allen Park also got a great game from a two-way player: Avery Garden. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Garden was also big at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three runs, a triple, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Hannah Ward, who scored two runs while going 3-for-3. Ashten Omodio was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-3.
Woodhaven's win was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 13-2. As for Allen Park, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 14-3 record this season.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Woodhaven has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .489. However, it's not like Allen Park struggles in that department as they've averaged .511. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Woodhaven skirted past Allen Park 4-3 when the teams last played back in May of 2023. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Allen Park's Morgan Sizemore, who tossed 11.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits. Now that she won't be playing on Thursday, will it be that much easier for Woodhaven to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
