Softball Preview: Caldwell County Tigers vs. Webster County Trojans
Caldwell County has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on the Webster County Trojans at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Caldwell County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
Things were looking good for Caldwell County after they put the first points on the board on Monday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They took a 6-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of Crittenden County.
Alexis Wood spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and four unearned) runs on eight hits.
On the hitting side, Caldwell County saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brylee Butts, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Webster County had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12.7 runs), and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Bears and snuck past 9-7.
Webster County also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Chloe Papineau gave up four earned (and three unearned) runs on ten hits and racked up 11 Ks. Papineau has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Webster County let Jenna Shelley and Hailey Allen loose on the outfield. Shelley scored two runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4, while Allen scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Kennedy Warren, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Caldwell County has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 17-16-1 record this season. As for Webster County, they pushed their record up to 23-9 with that victory, which was their fourth straight at home.
Tuesday's match will be a test for both team's pitchers. Caldwell County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .329. However, it's not like Webster County struggles in that department as they've averaged .344. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Caldwell County might still be hurting after the 8-2 loss they got from Webster County in their previous meeting back in April. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Papineau, who didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits while striking out 14 over seven innings pitched. Now that Caldwell County knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
