Softball Game Preview: Harpeth Indians vs. Battle Ground Academy Wildcats

The Harpeth Indians will square off against the Battle Ground Academy Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

On Tuesday, Harpeth needed a bit of extra time to put away East Hickman County. They had just enough and edged out the Eagles 6-4. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Indians as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.

Taylor Riley spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and three unearned) runs on six hits and racked up seven Ks.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Cameron Hayes, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Ava Vannata, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Battle Ground Academy took on Grace Christian Academy on Tuesday. The Wildcats put the hurt on the Lions with a sharp 9-2 victory. The Wildcats might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine matches by seven runs or more this season.

Khloe Burton made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.

In other batting news, Ella Fruechtemeyer was a standout: she scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two). Lauren Atkins was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.

Battle Ground Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Grace Christian Academy only managed four hits.

Battle Ground Academy is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a massive bump to their 11-9 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.2 runs over those games. As for Harpeth, their victory bumped their record up to 4-7-1.