Softball Preview: Minerva Lions vs. New Philadelphia Quakers
The Minerva Lions will be playing in front of their home fans against the New Philadelphia Quakers at 5:00 p.m. on Monday.
Minerva lost 18-7 to Marlington on Thursday. Minerva has struggled against Marlington recently, as their game on Thursday was their sixth consecutive lost matchup.
Minerva saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Dakota Breton, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last matchup, New Philadelphia made sure to put some runs up on the board against Tuscarawas Valley on Saturday. New Philadelphia blew past Tuscarawas Valley 10-4.
Jillian Howard spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on nine hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Reese Loveday, who scored three runs while going 4-for-5. Sidney Vandall was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.
Minerva's loss dropped their record down to 7-9. As for New Philadelphia, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matches, which provided a massive bump to their 11-7 record this season.
New Philadelphia's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Monday. Minerva has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for New Philadelphia, though, as they've been averaging only 3.8. Will Minerva keep running through batters, or will New Philadelphia buck the trend?
Minerva suffered a grim 13-7 defeat to New Philadelphia in their previous meeting back in May of 2019. Will Minerva have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
