Softball Preview: West Lafayette Red Devils vs. Western Panthers
West Lafayette is on a four-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Western is on a 15-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The West Lafayette Red Devils will take on the Western Panthers at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Both teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
In what's become a running theme this season, West Lafayette gave their fans yet another huge victory on Tuesday. They blew past Benton Central 18-4.
Dani Rawles and Izzy Ascarelli were a major factor while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Rawles tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Ascarelli tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (she also didn't allow any walks). Rawles has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive pitching appearances. At bat, Rawles scored three runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances, while Ascarelli scored two runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Adrianne Tolen and Emma Orr did most of the damage at the plate: Tolen scored three runs while going 2-for-3, while Orr scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Bree Johnson was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Western barely beat Hamilton Heights the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Western put the hurt on Hamilton Heights with a sharp 15-2 win in Tuesday's second game.
Like West Lafayette, Western also got a great game from a two-way player: Chloe Linn. She tossed four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Linn was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run.
In other pitching news, Lucy George looked comfortable as she pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (she also didn't allow any walks).
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Brynley Erb, who went 4-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Kamryn Garber, who went 3-for-3 with four RBI and a run.
West Lafayette's victory bumped their record up to 6-0. As for Western, their win bumped their record up to 3-0.
Monday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. West Lafayette hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .381. However, it's not like Western struggles in that department as they've averaged .356. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
West Lafayette suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Western in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. Will West Lafayette have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
