Softball Preview: Eastern Musketeers vs. Orleans Bulldogs
After four games on the road, Eastern is heading back home. They will take on the Orleans Bulldogs at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Given that the pair suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Eastern will head into Saturday's game ready to turn things around: they couldn't quite beat Covenant Christian on Saturday, but the two-run margin was a huge improvement compared to the seven-run defeat they were dealt on Thursday. Eastern fell just short of Covenant Christian by a score of 3-1.
Eastern saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sidney Patton, who went 1-for-3 with a double.
Even though they lost, Eastern didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 14 strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Covenant Christian only tossed six.
Meanwhile, Orleans started off well but failed to capitalize on an early lead against New Albany. They took a 5-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Bulldogs on Saturday. The loss continues a trend for Orleans in their matchups with New Albany: they've now lost four in a row.
Izzie Rutherford spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and four unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up six Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in eight consecutive pitching appearances.
Eastern has traveled a rocky road recently having lost nine of their last ten contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-13 record this season. As for Orleans, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Eastern has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Orleans struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.9. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Eastern skirted past Orleans 5-3 when the teams last played back in April of 2023. Does Eastern have another victory up their sleeve, or will Orleans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
