Softball Preview: Westminster Christian Wildcats vs. Incarnate Word Academy Red Knights
Westminster Christian has been on the road for six straight, but on Thursday they'll finally head home. They will host the Incarnate Word Academy Red Knights at 4:15 p.m. Westminster Christian is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.4 runs per game this season.
Westminster Christian's usually-dominant pitching crew will be looking to make up for Wednesday's struggle, when Howell Central hitters got past them. Westminster Christian fell just short of Howell Central by a score of 10-8 on Wednesday. The Wildcats' defeat signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.
Paige Branstetter made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and got on base in all five of her plate appearances with a home run, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Coco Francisco, who scored a run while going 1-for-4.
Meanwhile, Incarnate Word Academy made easy work of Nerinx Hall on Tuesday and carried off a 17-4 victory. The result was nothing new for the Red Knights, who have now won seven contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Incarnate Word Academy let Alexis Clayborne and Erin Meriwether loose on the outfield. Clayborne went 1-for-2 with a home run, three runs, and four RBI, while Meriwether scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Charli Niemczyk, who scored a run while going 3-for-3.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Incarnate Word Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .757. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved they're OBP total in three consecutive games.
Westminster Christian's loss ended a four-game streak of away wins and brought them to 11-5. As for Incarnate Word Academy, they have been performing well recently as they've won eight of their last ten matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 15-8 record this season.
Thursday's match will be a test for both team's pitchers. Westminster Christian hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of 0. However, it's not like Incarnate Word Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Westminster Christian's way against Incarnate Word Academy in their previous matchup back in August of 2022, as Westminster Christian made off with a 14-5 win. Does Westminster Christian have another victory up their sleeve, or will Incarnate Word Academy turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
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