Softball Preview: Alcoa Tornadoes vs. Heritage Mountaineers
The Alcoa Tornadoes will head out on the road to square off against the Heritage Mountaineers at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Heritage is hoping to do on Wednesday what William Blount couldn't on Monday: put an end to Alcoa's winning streak, which now stands at nine games. Alcoa put the hurt on William Blount with a sharp 19-6 win. Alcoa's victory was all the more impressive since William Blount was averaging only 3.96 runs allowed on the season.
Alcoa got a great performance from Lily Marsh as she struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). Marsh has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Alcoa let Halle Bailey and Kara Pitts loose on the outfield. Bailey got on base in four of her five plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI, while Pitts went 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Bailey has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last five times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Dylan Jablonski, who went 2-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Heritage got the win against Lenoir City on Monday by a conclusive 14-2. The win made it back-to-back victories for Heritage.
Elizabeth Hayes was a major factor no matter where she played. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Hayes was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, Rachel Hayes and Claire Foister did most of the damage at the plate: Hayes fired off two home runs and four RBI while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances, while Foister went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs. Emma Lonas was another key contributor, scoring three runs while going 3-for-4.
Alcoa has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 16 of their last 17 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 22-3 record this season. As for Heritage, they pushed their record up to 13-7 with that win, which was their third straight on the road.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. Alcoa hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .424. However, it's not like Heritage struggles in that department as they've averaged .331. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Alcoa beat Heritage 6-1 when the teams last played back in April of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Alcoa since the squad 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
