Softball Preview: West Branch Warriors vs. Curwensville Golden Tide
West Branch is on a 14-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Curwensville is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The West Branch Warriors will take on the Curwensville Golden Tide at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (West Branch: 1.6, Curwensville: 2.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
If West Branch beats Curwensville with four runs on Monday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. West Branch walked away with a 4-1 win over Glendale on Wednesday.
Makena Moore spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered one run (which was unearned) on one hit and racked up 18 Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Greysyn Gable, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooke Bainey, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Curwensville was able to grind out a solid victory over Williamsburg on Tuesday, taking the game 7-2.
Addison Siple made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits (and not a single walk). Siple was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Addison Warren was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. Natalie Wischuck was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
West Branch's win bumped their record up to 16-1. As for Curwensville, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matches, which provided a nice bump to their 14-4 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. West Branch has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 11.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Curwensville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10.7. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went West Branch's way against Curwensville in their previous meeting last Thursday as West Branch made off with an 8-0 victory. Does West Branch have another victory up their sleeve, or will Curwensville turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
