Softball Preview: Maconaquah Braves vs. Elwood Panthers
The Maconaquah Braves will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Elwood Panthers at 5:30 p.m. Maconaquah is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
Last Wednesday, Maconaquah got the win against Peru by a conclusive 11-4.
Blayklee Buman spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on eight hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Maconaquah got a massive performance out of Shaela Brazzel, who went 4-for-5 with a triple, a stolen base, and a run. Another player making a difference was Kaitlynn Bunch, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Elwood fell victim to Alexandria-Monroe and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They lost 10-0 to the Tigers. Having soared to a lofty 11 runs in the game before, Elwood's shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Maconaquah's victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-11. As for Elwood, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost seven of their last nine matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-12 record this season.
Elwood's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Maconaquah has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.5 hits per game. It's a different story for Elwood, though, as they've been averaging 10.5. Given Maconaquah's sizable advantage in that area, Elwood will need to find a way to close that gap.
Maconaquah came up short against Elwood when the teams last played back in May of 2023, falling 10-5. Thankfully for Maconaquah, Olivia Shannon (who struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits (and only one walk)) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
