Softball Game Preview: Elk Valley Christian Eagles vs. Nitro Wildcats

The Elk Valley Christian Eagles will head out to square off against the Nitro Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Elk Valley Christian's pitching crew has only allowed 3.6 runs per game this season, so Nitro's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Elk Valley Christian is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 21-6 margin over Hannan on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won five contests by six runs or more so far this season.

Meanwhile, Nitro won against St. Joseph Central on Wednesday with 12 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Thursday. The Wildcats came out on top in a nail-biter against Oak Hill, sneaking past 12-10. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Wildcats.

McKenzie Hyatt made a splash no matter where she played. She pitched seven innings while giving up three earned (and seven unearned) runs off nine hits. Hyatt was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Zoe Hyatt, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one triple. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Madeline Given was another key player, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one double.

Nitro always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive games.

Elk Valley Christian's win was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-2. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.4 runs over those games. As for Nitro, their record now sits at 5-12.