Softball Preview: Bozeman Hawks vs. Billings West Golden Bears
Bozeman is 0-10 against Billings West since May of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Bozeman Hawks will head out on the road to take on the Billings West Golden Bears at 3:00 p.m. Bozeman is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.8 runs per game this season.
Bozeman is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Montana's top teams: Butte, who was ranked 18th in their home state at the time (Bozeman was ranked 21st). Bozeman lost 19-4 to Butte on Saturday.
Avery Westphal was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBI.
Meanwhile, Billings West's hitters rose to the challenge against a Bruins pitching crew that boasted an average of only 3.77 runs allowed on Saturday. Billings West was the clear victor by a 13-2 margin over Capital. Billings West might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won six matchups by nine runs or more this season.
Tatum Bush was a major factor no matter where she played. She pitched five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. Bush has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances. Bush was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, Lileigh Nieto was incredible, firing off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 3-for-4. Kylie King was another key contributor, going 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, and a double.
Bozeman's loss dropped their record down to 1-9. As for Billings West, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games, which provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season.
Thursday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Bozeman has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .458. However, it's not like Billings West struggles in that department as they've averaged .473. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Bozeman might still be hurting after the 13-2 defeat they got from Billings West when the teams last played on April 4th. Can Bozeman avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
