Softball Preview: Eaton Reds vs. Platte Valley Broncos
Eaton has gone 10-0 against Platte Valley recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Saturday. The Eaton Reds' road trip will continue as they head out to face the Platte Valley Broncos at 11:00 a.m. Eaton's pitching crew has only allowed 2.9 runs per game this season, so Platte Valley's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Eaton will roll into the match after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run on Monday, then bounced right back against University on Thursday. Eaton put the hurt on University with a sharp 22-9 win. Considering the Reds have won 16 games by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Johanna Galvan was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off eight hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of her six plate appearances with two RBI and a double.
In other batting news, Emma Anderson was incredible, firing off two home runs, six runs, and six RBI while going 4-for-5. What's more, she also racked up four hits, the mostshe's had since back in August. Another player making a difference was Kiauna Smith, who got on base in four of her six plate appearances with a home run, three runs, and four RBI.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Eaton didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with ten strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as University only tossed seven.
Meanwhile, Thursday just wasn't the day for Platte Valley's offense. They came up short against Resurrection Christian on Thursday, falling 20-0. Having soared to a lofty 24 runs in the game before, the Broncos' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Eaton's record now sits at 17-3. As for Platte Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-19.
Platte Valley's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Saturday. Eaton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Platte Valley, though, as they've been averaging only 3.2. Will Eaton keep running through batters, or will Platte Valley buck the trend?
Everything went Eaton's way against Platte Valley in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, as Eaton made off with a 23-1 victory. Will Eaton repeat their success, or does Platte Valley have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
