Softball Preview: Watauga Pioneers vs. Freedom Patriots
Watauga is 9-1 against Freedom since March of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Watauga Pioneers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Freedom Patriots at 6:00 p.m. Watauga is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
Having struggled with five defeats in a row, Watauga finally turned things around against Hibriten on Friday. Watauga walked away with a 10-6 victory over Hibriten.
Katie Matheson was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up four earned (and two unearned) runs off nine hits (and only one walk). Matheson was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-5.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Chloe Wilson, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and a double. Another player making a difference was Kara Brooks, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a double.
Meanwhile, Freedom fell victim to a rough 10-4 loss at the hands of Owen on Monday.
Freedom saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Englani Campbell, who went 2-for-4 with a home run, two stolen bases, and two runs.
Watauga's win bumped their record up to 7-9. As for Freedom, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-12 record this season.
Freedom's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Watauga has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .433. It's a different story for Freedom, though, as they've only averaged .348. Will they be able to contain Watauga's hitters?
Watauga was able to grind out a solid victory over Freedom in their previous meeting back in March, winning 9-6. Does Watauga have another victory up their sleeve, or will Freedom turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
