Softball Preview: Blacksburg Bruins vs. Lord Botetourt Cavaliers
The Blacksburg Bruins will head out on the road to challenge the Lord Botetourt Cavaliers at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Blacksburg is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 8.5 runs per game this season.
In what's become a running theme this season, Blacksburg gave their fans yet another huge victory on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Salem as Blacksburg made off with a 9-1 win. Winning may never get old, but Blacksburg sure is getting used to it with their third in a row.
Evelyn Rhoads and Clara McMahon made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Rhoads struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, McMahon pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (she also didn't allow any walks). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. At the plate, Rhoads scored a run while going 1-for-4, while McMahon scored a run while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Katey Mathena was incredible, scoring two runs while going 4-for-4. She is on a roll when it comes to hits, as she's now hit three or more in the last four games she's played. Lindsey Polan was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Lord Botetourt fell victim to Christiansburg and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They suffered a tough 11-0 loss at the hands of the Blue Demons. The matchup marked that first time this year in which Lord Botetourt was not able to get on the board.
Blacksburg pushed their record up to 5-1 with that victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs per game. As for Lord Botetourt, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-3.
Blacksburg skirted past Lord Botetourt 9-8 in their previous meeting back in March. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Lord Botetourt's Grace Thomas, who tossed eight innings while giving up four earned (and four unearned) runs off ten hits (she also only allowed one walk). Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Blacksburg still be able to contain Thomas? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
