Softball Preview: Salem Wildcats vs. East Alton-Wood River Oilers
Salem is 4-0 against East Alton-Wood River since April of 2022, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Salem Wildcats will be staying on the road to face off against the East Alton-Wood River Oilers at 4:30 p.m. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Salem owes their pitching crew a big pat on the back after their performance on Saturday. They came out on top against Waltonville by a score of 4-0.
Lilly Blagoue was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out 14 over seven innings pitched. Blagoue has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in six consecutive pitching appearances. Blagoue 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 Olivia Paulson, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one home run the last three times she's played.
Meanwhile, East Alton-Wood River scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Saturday. They were the clear victor by an 18-1 margin over North Greene. With that win, East Alton-Wood River brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Like Salem, East Alton-Wood River also got a great game from a two-way player: Haley Pratt. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Pratt was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Chloe Driver was a standout: she scored three runs and stole a base while going 1-for-4. Lily Tretter was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4.
Salem's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-2. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs per game. As for East Alton-Wood River, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 3-9.
East Alton-Wood River's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Salem has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.8 hits per game. It's a different story for East Alton-Wood River, though, as they've been averaging 9.8. Given Salem's sizable advantage in that area, East Alton-Wood River will need to find a way to close that gap.
Salem took their victory against East Alton-Wood River in their previous matchup back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 24-3. Does Salem have another victory up their sleeve, or will East Alton-Wood River turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
