Softball Preview: Old Lyme Wildcats vs. East Hampton Bellringers
Old Lyme is 9-1 against East Hampton since May of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Wednesday. The Old Lyme Wildcats will be playing in front of their home fans against the East Hampton Bellringers at 4:00 p.m. After both teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Wednesday.
East Hampton is hoping to do on Wednesday what New London couldn't on Tuesday: put an end to Old Lyme's winning streak, which now stands at three games. Old Lyme's pitcher stepped up to hand New London a 15-0 shutout. Old Lyme might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won three matches by 13 runs or more this season.
Emma Bayor made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. Bayor has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than five innings every time she's pitched this season. Bayor was also big at the plate, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Grace Osbourne, who went 3-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and a double. Another player making a difference was Anna Eichholz, who went 2-for-3 with a triple, a stolen base, and a run.
Meanwhile, East Hampton can finally bid farewell to their six-game losing streak dating back to last season thanks to their game on Wednesday. They blew past Portland 25-7. East Hampton's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Like Old Lyme, East Hampton also got a great game from a two-way player: Kendall Jump. On the mound, Jump tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Shea Gaughran tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. At bat, Jump scored two runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances, while Gaughran scored two runs while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, East Hampton got a massive performance out of Neha Sidana, who scored five runs while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances. Sophia Long was another key contributor, scoring four runs while going 4-for-4.
Old Lyme's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-1. As for East Hampton, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-4.
Wednesday's matchup will be a test for both team's pitchers. Old Lyme hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .346. However, it's not like East Hampton struggles in that department as they've averaged .319. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Old Lyme took their victory against East Hampton when the teams last played back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 9-0. Will Old Lyme repeat their success, or does East Hampton have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
