Softball Game Preview: Brooklyn Hurricanes vs. Independence Blue Devils

For the second straight game, Brooklyn will face off against Independence. The Hurricanes are taking a road trip to challenge the Blue Devils at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Brooklyn has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the match with six straight losses, while Independence will come in with five straight wins.

Brooklyn fell victim to Independence and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They lost 17-0 to the Blue Devils.

For Independence's part, Lila Manfredonia made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 15 over five innings pitched. Manfredonia has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with three RBI and one triple.

In other batting news, Independence got a massive performance out of Addison Walchanowicz, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Paige Priebe, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.

Independence hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in five consecutive contests.

Independence's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-3. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.5 runs on average over those games. As for Brooklyn, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-7.