Softball Preview: Wheat Ridge Farmers vs. Fairview Knights
After two games on the road, Wheat Ridge is heading back home. They will welcome the Fairview Knights at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Having struggled with four losses in a row, Wheat Ridge finally turned things around against Dakota Ridge on Wednesday. Everything went their way against the Eagles as they made off with a 16-4 win. The result was nothing new for the Farmers, who have now won seven matchups by eight runs or more so far this season.
Haley Cross spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on six hits and racked up eight Ks. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in August.
On the hitting side, Oliva Hoppe was a standout: she scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Claire Tompkins, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 5-for-5.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Wheat Ridge was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .450. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved they're batting average total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Fairview had to endure a six-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They put the hurt on Skyline with a sharp 19-1 victory on Thursday. The contest marked the Knights' most dominant win of the season.
Brooklyn Dangott made a big impact no matter where she played. She pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run but no hits. Dangott was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-2 with five RBI, two doubles, and a stolen base.
In other batting news, Fairview got a massive performance out of Kate McCall, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Elise Roehrich, who scored three runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-2.
Wheat Ridge now has a winning record of 7-6. As for Fairview, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 5-10.
Saturday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Wheat Ridge has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of 0. However, it's not like Fairview struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Wheat Ridge took their win against Fairview when the teams last played back in August of 2023 by a conclusive 12-2. Will Wheat Ridge repeat their success, or does Fairview have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
