Softball Preview: Cabell Midland Knights vs. Hurricane Redskins
Cabell Midland and Hurricane are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2019, but likely not for long. The Cabell Midland Knights will head out on the road to face off against the Hurricane Redskins at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Cabell Midland sitting on six straight wins and Hurricane on four.
Cabell Midland is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of West Virginia's top teams: Lincoln County, who was ranked first in their home state at the time (Cabell Midland was ranked second). Cabell Midland walked away with an 11-8 victory over Lincoln County on Tuesday. Cabell Midland's win was all the more impressive since Lincoln County was averaging only 2.52 runs allowed on the season.
Audrea Watts spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and six unearned) runs on ten hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than six innings in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Baylee Smith, who went 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and a double. Quinn Ballengee was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 3-for-5.
Meanwhile, Hurricane earned a 9-4 victory over George Washington on Tuesday.
Hurricane also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Kate Justice gave up four earned runs on seven hits and racked up seven Ks.
At the plate, Hurricane let Kyndall Harper and Jaden Jones loose on the outfield. Harper went 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs, while Jones went 1-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Katelyn Hopkins, who scored a run while going 3-for-3.
Cabell Midland's win was their 21st straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 21-3. As for Hurricane, they are on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 11 games, which provided a nice bump to their 15-5 record this season.
Cabell Midland's speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's matchup. Cabell Midland has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Hurricane, though, as they've been averaging only 0.6. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Cabell Midland continue to outrun the ball?
Cabell Midland took their victory against Hurricane when the teams last played back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 10-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Cabell Midland 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
