Softball Preview: Western Harnett Eagles vs. E.E. Smith Golden Bulls
Western Harnett is 5-0 against E.E. Smith since April of 2022, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Western Harnett Eagles will head out on the road to face off against the E.E. Smith Golden Bulls at 6:30 p.m. Western Harnett is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 12.1 runs per game this season.
On Friday, Western Harnett fell victim to a rough 20-2 defeat at the hands of Triton. Western Harnett has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Olivia Moomaw and Kaylee Yow did some serious damage despite the final result: Moomaw went 1-for-2 with a triple and two RBI, while Yow got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two stolen bases.
Meanwhile, E.E. Smith won against Westover on Tuesday with 23 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Thursday. E.E. Smith was the clear victor by a 23-7 margin over Westover. The win made it back-to-back victories for E.E. Smith.
Aviaunah Gregory made a splash no matter where she played. She pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits. Gregory was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in all two of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Tatiana Hildreth and Taliyah Evans did most of the damage at the plate: Hildreth went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, six RBI, and two runs, while Evans got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two stolen bases, five RBI, and three runs. Jamey Quinata was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Western Harnett's loss ended an eight-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 13-5. As for E.E. Smith, their win ended a five-game drought at home and bumped them up to 3-9.
Tuesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Western Harnett has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .551. However, it's not like E.E. Smith struggles in that department as they've averaged .537. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Western Harnett's way against E.E. Smith in their previous meeting back in April of 2023 as Western Harnett made off with a 9-1 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was E.E. Smith's Kevana DeBerry, who struck out 16 batters over seven innings while giving up four earned (and five unearned) runs off eight hits. Now that she won't be playing on Tuesday, will it be that much easier for Western Harnett to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
