Softball Preview: Vista Ridge Wolves vs. Cherokee Trail Cougars
The Vista Ridge Wolves are on the road again on Friday to play the Cherokee Trail Cougars at 10:00 a.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Vista Ridge is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 16-15 victory over Eaglecrest.
Jocelynn Kalkman was incredible, scoring four runs while going 5-for-6. What's more, she also racked up five hits, the mostshe's had since back in August. Another player making a difference was Savannah Siffert, who scored four runs while going 3-for-5.
Meanwhile, Cherokee Trail won against Pine Creek on Friday with ten runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Friday. Cherokee Trail put the hurt on Chaparral with a sharp 10-2 win. Considering the Cougars have won 15 matches by more than six runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Emma Rice was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits. Rice was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with a home run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kennedy Brian, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Icela Ciocarlan, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-4.
Cherokee Trail hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most five strikeouts in three consecutive matchups.
Vista Ridge's victory bumped their record up to 14-12. As for Cherokee Trail, their win bumped their record up to 21-4.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Vista Ridge has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of 0. However, it's not like Cherokee Trail struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Vista Ridge came up short against Cherokee Trail in their previous meeting back in September of 2019, falling 9-5. Can Vista Ridge 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
