Softball Preview: Blacksburg Bruins vs. Auburn Eagles
The Blacksburg Bruins will head out on the road to face off against the Auburn Eagles at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Blacksburg comes in on four and Auburn on three.
Blacksburg scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Thursday. They put the hurt on Lord Botetourt with a sharp 16-2 victory. Considering Blacksburg has won five games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Evelyn Rhoads made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits (and not a single walk). Rhoads was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lindsey Polan, who went 4-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and four RBI. Molly Lyon was another key contributor, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI.
Meanwhile, Auburn put the finishing touches on their third blowout victory of the season on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Grayson County as Auburn made off with an 18-6 win.
Like Blacksburg, Auburn also got a great game from a two-way player: Faith Wilson. On the mound, Wilson didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over 5.2 innings pitched. Meanwhile, McKenzie Booth pitched 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (she also only allowed one walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single walk in five consecutive pitching appearances. At bat, Wilson scored two runs while going 3-for-4, while Booth scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Johnnie Gaynor was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Kaylee Ramrattan, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-5.
Blacksburg's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-1. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs per game. As for Auburn, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 5-3 record this season.
Friday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Blacksburg hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .385. However, it's not like Auburn struggles in that department as they've averaged .339. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Blacksburg's way against Auburn in their previous matchup back in March as Blacksburg made off with a 9-3 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Blacksburg since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
