Softball Preview: Western Panthers vs. Norwell Knights
The Western Panthers will be staying on the road on Saturday to face off against the Norwell Knights at 11:00 a.m. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Western is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Boone Grove and snuck past 9-7. Nine seems to be a good number for Western as the team scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Chloe Linn made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over 5.2 innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. Linn has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive pitching appearances. Linn was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brynley Erb, who went 3-for-3 with a home run, three runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Kylie Miller, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and two runs.
Meanwhile, Norwell came tearing into Tuesday's match with eight straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.8 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They had just enough and edged the Tigers out 3-1.
Sami Lemler spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on five hits.
At the plate, Jordan Markley was excellent, going 1-for-3 with a home run.
Western's win bumped their record up to 26-2. As for Norwell, they are on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 11 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 18-7 record this season.
Saturday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. Western hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .409. However, it's not like Norwell struggles in that department as they've averaged .357. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
