Softball Game Preview: Quaker Valley Quakers vs. Ellwood City Wolverine

Quaker Valley hasn't had much luck against Ellwood City recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Quakers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Wolverine at 4:15 p.m. Quaker Valley has given up an average of 7.5 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Quaker Valley is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 19 runs on Tuesday, they were much more limited against Mohawk Area on Wednesday. They came up short against the Warriors, falling 13-2.

Quaker Valley saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Natalie DeGori, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.

Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last matchup, Ellwood City made sure to put some runs up on the board against Avonworth on Wednesday. The Wolverine put the hurt on the Antelopes with a sharp 11-2 win.

Amber McQuistion spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on four hits.

At the plate, Alexis Beck was a standout: she got on base in three of her five plate appearances with two runs and two RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Crystal Folino, who went 2-for-5 with three runs, one double, and one RBI.

Ellwood City kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.

Ellwood City has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for Quaker Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-5.

Quaker Valley suffered a grim 9-1 defeat to Ellwood City in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Quakers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.