Softball Preview: Penn Kingsmen vs. South Bend St. Joseph Huskies
Penn is 9-1 against South Bend St. Joseph since May of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Penn Kingsmen will be staying on the road to face off against the South Bend St. Joseph Huskies at 6:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Penn is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 12-1 margin over Elkhart. Penn's victory was all the more impressive since Elkhart was averaging only four runs allowed on the season.
Aubrey Zachary tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and only one hit while striking out six over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in six consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Logan Rumble was incredible, going 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Ashlyn Kronewitter, who went 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBI, and a run.
Meanwhile, South Bend St. Joseph entered their tilt with Mishawaka with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Cavemen an 8-0 shutout on Friday.
The result came thanks to Berkley Zache's shutout, as she gave up just two hits and racked up 12 Ks.
At the plate, Payton Wulf and Riley Zache did most of the damage at the plate: Wulf went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, while Zache went 1-for-2 with two runs, a triple, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Kenadie Schrock, who went 2-for-4 with a triple, a run, and an RBI.
Penn is on a roll lately: they've won 14 of their last 15 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 25-6 record this season. As for South Bend St. Joseph, their win bumped their record up to 22-5.
Tuesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Penn has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .491. However, it's not like South Bend St. Joseph struggles in that department as they've averaged .432. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Penn's way against South Bend St. Joseph in their previous meeting on May 6th as Penn made off with an 8-2 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Penn 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
