The Central Wise Warriors will head out to face off against the Richlands Blue Tornado at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Central Wise took a loss when they played away from home last Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They came out on top against Lee by a score of 9-5. The Warriors haven't had any issues with the Generals recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Kaelyn Dales made a big impact no matter where she played. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over four innings pitched. Dales was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Dales wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Abigail Sturgill, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Peyton Lane also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
Meanwhile, Richlands never let their opponents score on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Gate City with a sharp 9-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Blue Tornado, who have now won three games by nine runs or more so far this season.
Like Central Wise, Richlands also got a great game from a two-way player: Averi Fuller. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over seven innings pitched. Fuller has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Alli Hale was excellent, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Haven Crabtree, who scored two runs while going 1-for-1.
Central Wise's win was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-3. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.1 runs on average over those games. As for Richlands, they now also have a winning record of 4-3.
Central Wise came out on top in a nail-biter against Richlands in their previous matchup back in March, sneaking past 6-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Warriors since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
