The South Putnam Eagles will face off against the Parke Heritage Wolves at 12:30 p.m. on Monday. South Putnam is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.8 runs per game this season.
South Putnam came out on top against Riverton Parke on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run second inning. The Eagles took their contest against the Panthers 8-4.
The team relied heavily on Elliana Cox, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaylee Williams, who went 1-for-4 with one triple and one run.
For some reason, the away team has come away with the win the last four times Parke Heritage and Fountain Central have met, but the home crowd finally got their W on Thursday. The Wolves walked away with a 6-3 victory over the Mustangs.
Maddi Crowder spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three runs (all of which were unearned) on four hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 15 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Parke Heritage's win was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Aerianna DeSmith, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Hailey Bonomo was another, getting on base in two of her four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Parke Heritage hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive matchups.
Parke Heritage's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-15. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for South Putnam, their victory bumped their record up to 9-7.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Monday. South Putnam hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.9 home runs per game. However, it's not like Parke Heritage struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.6 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Everything went South Putnam's way against Parke Heritage when the teams last played last Thursday, as South Putnam made off with a 12-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
