Softball Preview: E.E. Smith Golden Bulls vs. Western Harnett Eagles
E.E. Smith is 0-5 against Western Harnett since April of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The E.E. Smith Golden Bulls will be playing at home against the Western Harnett Eagles at 6:30 p.m. Western Harnett took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on E.E. Smith, who comes in off a win.
If E.E. Smith beats Western Harnett with 23 runs on Tuesday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matches with that exact score. Everything went E.E. Smith's way against Westover on Thursday as E.E. Smith made off with a 23-7 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for E.E. Smith.
Aviaunah Gregory made a splash while hitting and pitching. She tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits. Gregory was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in all two of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, E.E. Smith let Tatiana Hildreth and Taliyah Evans loose on the outfield. Hildreth went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, six RBI, and two runs, while Evans got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two stolen bases, five RBI, and three runs. Jamey Quinata was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Western Harnett suffered a tough 20-2 loss at the hands of Triton on Friday. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Western Harnett in their matchups with Triton: they've now lost three in a row.
Olivia Moomaw and Kaylee Yow did some serious damage despite the final result: Moomaw went 1-for-2 with a triple and two RBI, while Yow got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two stolen bases.
E.E. Smith's victory ended a five-game drought at home and bumped them up to 3-9. As for Western Harnett, their loss ended an eight-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 13-5.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. E.E. Smith hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .346. However, it's not like Western Harnett struggles in that department as they've averaged .411. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
E.E. Smith might still be hurting after the 9-1 defeat they got from Western Harnett in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Thankfully for E.E. Smith, Katie Neel (who didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out 18 over seven innings pitched) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
