Softball Preview: Eaglecrest Raptors vs. Cherokee Trail Cougars
Eaglecrest hasn't had much luck against Cherokee Trail recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Eaglecrest Raptors will head out to face off against the Cherokee Trail Cougars at 4:15 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Saturday, Eaglecrest got the win against Smoky Hill by a conclusive 13-1. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Raptors.
Alyssa Vallejos looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over four innings pitched. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in strikeouts.
On the hitting side, Kaitlyn Hendrian was incredible, going 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Chessa Reid, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-2.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Eaglecrest was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .457. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Smoky Hill only posted a batting average of .240.
Meanwhile, Cherokee Trail came tearing into Monday's match with nine straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on the Buffaloes with a sharp 13-3 victory.
Sydney Cobb was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a triple and two RBI.
In other batting news, Tayah Burton was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing four bases while going 2-for-3. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now stolen at least one in the last 15 games she's played dating back to last season. Another player making a difference was Taylor Murkey, who went 2-for-3 with a triple, two RBI, and two RBI.
Eaglecrest has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games, which provided a nice bump to their 10-5 record this season. As for Cherokee Trail, their win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 13-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Eaglecrest has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Cherokee Trail struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.1. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Eaglecrest suffered a grim 15-5 defeat to Cherokee Trail when the teams last played back in October of 2023. Can Eaglecrest avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
