Softball Preview: Cardinal Newman Crusaders vs. Dwyer Panthers
Cardinal Newman has enjoyed a five-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against the Dwyer Panthers at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Cardinal Newman is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 12.4 runs per game this season.
Cardinal Newman can now show off 12 landslide victories after their most recent match on Monday. They were the clear victor by a 16-1 margin over Clewiston.
Sophia Colangelo made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched 2.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Colangelo was even better at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI.
In other batting news, Reese Khanna was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and four RBI. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one home run the last four times she's played. Karis Taleff was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Dwyer won a close one the last time they played, but unfortunately they suffered a serious change of fortune on Friday. Their rough 11-1 loss to Melbourne might stick with them for a while. Having soared to a lofty 11 runs in the game before, Dwyer couldn't push the score so high this time.
Cardinal Newman's victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-2. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.1 runs per game. As for Dwyer, they have not been sharp recently as the team has lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-13 record this season.
Dwyer's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Cardinal Newman hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .430. It's a different story for Dwyer, though, as they've only averaged .223. Will they be able to contain Cardinal Newman's hitters?
Cardinal Newman suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Dwyer in their previous meeting back in February of 2023. Can Cardinal Newman avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
