Softball Game Preview: Antwerp Archers vs. Ayersville Pilots

The Antwerp Archers will square off against the Ayersville Pilots at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Antwerp 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 3-2 win over Continental. The victory continues a trend for the Archers in their matchups with the Pirates: they've now won five in a row.

Elle Clem made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off nine hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.

In other batting news, Caroline Rohrs was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Haydyn Lengacher, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one run.

Meanwhile, Ayersville waltzed into their game on Friday with 14 straight wins... but they left with 15. They blew past the Vikings 19-0. Considering the Pilots have won ten matchups by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.

Ayersville's win was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 16-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games. As for Antwerp, their record is now 11-13.