Softball Recap: Maplewood Comes Up Short

Maplewood had lost seven straight on the road dating back to last season, but on Saturday they dropped down to 3-4 to make it eight. They took a 7-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of the West Middlesex Big Reds. The Tigers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Big Reds apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in May of 2017.

As for West Middlesex, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-3 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games.

For West Middlesex's part, Harper Nickel (Waynesburg) spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on nine hits and racked up 13 Ks. Those 13 strikeouts set a new season-high mark for Nickel (Waynesburg).

At the plate, West Middlesex let Allison Blanton and Lila Kimmel run wild. Blanton went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run, while Kimmel went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Those two RBI gave Blanton a new career-high. Nevaeh Lapcevich also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.

Looking ahead, Maplewood will take on Lakeview at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday. As for West Middlesex, they will face off against Union Area at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday.