Softball Preview: Eaglecrest Raptors vs. Smoky Hill Buffaloes
The Eaglecrest Raptors will head out to square off against the Smoky Hill Buffaloes at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
On Friday, Eaglecrest made easy work of ThunderRidge and carried off a 12-2 victory. Considering the Raptors have won eight contests by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
The team relied heavily on Sybella Trevino, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI and a triple. The last time her batting average was this high was two weeks ago. The team also got some help courtesy of Briahna Gallegos, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Eaglecrest didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with five strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as ThunderRidge only tossed two.
Meanwhile, Smoky Hill can finally bid farewell to their ten-game losing streak thanks to their game on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Rangeview with a sharp 18-4 win.
Ava Matheny was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Matheny was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 1-for-1.
In other batting news, Kiley Snyder was a standout: she scored a run while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Ellen Paris, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Eaglecrest's record now sits at 9-5. As for Smoky Hill, their victory ended a nine-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-10.
Smoky Hill's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Eaglecrest has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.9 hits per game. It's a different story for Smoky Hill, though, as they've been averaging 12.7. Given Eaglecrest's sizable advantage in that area, Smoky Hill will need to find a way to close that gap.
Eaglecrest took their win against Smoky Hill in their previous meeting back in October of 2023 by a conclusive 11-2. Will Eaglecrest repeat their success, or does Smoky Hill have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
