Softball Game Preview: Dayton Bulldogs vs. Summit Hilltoppers

The Dayton Bulldogs will square off against the Summit Hilltoppers at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Dayton 3.3, Summit 1.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.

On Thursday, Dayton didn't have quite enough to beat Governor Livingston and fell 3-2. The loss continues a trend for the Bulldogs in their meetings with the Highlanders: they've now lost five in a row.

Meanwhile, Summit waltzed into their matchup on Friday with nine straight wins... but they left with ten. They blew past the Vikings 13-3. The Hilltoppers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine contests by eight runs or more this season.

Charlotte Yarnall was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 12 batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off three hits. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with five RBI.

In other batting news, Caroline Putnam and Blythe Hellings did most of the damage at the plate: Putnam went 2-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple, while Hellings went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those three RBI gave Hellings a new career-high. Hannah Jacobson was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base.

Summit always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .552. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Summit pushed their record up to 13-2 with the victory, which was their ninth straight on the road dating back to last season. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.4 runs over those games. As for Dayton, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-9.

Dayton couldn't quite finish off Summit in their previous matchup two weeks ago and fell 3-1. Will the Bulldogs have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.