Softball Preview: Brighton Bulldogs vs. Prairie View Thunderhawks
Brighton is 10-0 against Prairie View since September of 2016, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Brighton Bulldogs will face off against the Prairie View Thunderhawks at 5:00 p.m. Brighton knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with ten runs or more in their past six games -- so hopefully Prairie View likes a good challenge.
Brighton's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Saturday. They put the hurt on Centaurus with a sharp 15-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Bulldogs, who have now won 13 matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Brooke Johnson made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
In other batting news, Brighton let Ella McHugh and Ava Araujo loose on the outfield. McHugh went 2-for-2 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs, while Araujo scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-3. Araujo is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now stolen at least one in the last three games she's played dating back to last season. The team also got some help courtesy of Jordyn Martinez, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Brighton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .640. That's a new trend for them: their average OBP was 35.6% earlier this season, but in their last ten contests they've averaged 54.6%.
Meanwhile, Prairie View lost 10-3 to Boulder on Saturday. The Thunderhawks have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Alex Sanford made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 4-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and a double. What's more, she also racked up four hits, the mostshe's had since back in August.
Brighton's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-6. As for Prairie View, their loss dropped their record down to 8-12.
Prairie View's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Brighton has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10 hits per game. It's a different story for Prairie View, though, as they've been averaging 10.9. Given Brighton's sizable advantage in that area, Prairie View will need to find a way to close that gap.
Brighton took their victory against Prairie View in their previous meeting back in September by a conclusive 14-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Brighton since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
