Softball Preview: Windber Ramblers vs. Meyersdale Red Raiders
Windber is 1-8 against Meyersdale since March of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Windber Ramblers will look to defend their home field against the Meyersdale Red Raiders at 4:30 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Thursday, it was a hard-fought game, but Windber had to settle for an 11-10 defeat against Rockwood.
Kaylie Gaye was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Aaliyah James, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Meyersdale put the finishing touches on their 12th blowout victory of the season on Tuesday. They never let Rockwood onto the board and left with an 11-0 win. The victory was familiar territory for Meyersdale who now have four in a row.
Izabella Donaldson was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Donaldson has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. Donaldson was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, Meyersdale got a massive performance out of Marcella Dupre, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Isabella Sleasman was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 3-for-3.
Windber's loss dropped their record down to 7-6. As for Meyersdale, their win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-1.
Windber's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's contest. Windber has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Meyersdale, though, as they've been averaging only 0.8. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Windber continue to outrun the ball?
Windber might still be hurting after the 10-0 defeat they got from Meyersdale when the teams last played back in April. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Donaldson, who didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 14 over six innings pitched. Now that Windber knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
