Softball Game Preview: Shadle Park Highlanders vs. University Titans

The Shadle Park Highlanders will head out on the road to square off against the University Titans at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Shadle Park will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.

Having struggled with four losses in a row, Shadle Park turned things around against Ridgeline on Thursday. They put the hurt on the Falcons with a sharp 16-3 victory.

McKenzie Duncan made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits. Duncan was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Madi Keon, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in March. Abby Smith was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.

Meanwhile, University made easy work of Gonzaga Prep on Thursday and carried off a 21-1 win. Considering the Titans have won eight matches by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.

The victory made it two in a row for University and bumps their season record up to 9-4. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.0 runs over those games. As for Shadle Park, their record is now 5-7.

Shadle Park might still be hurting after the 26-2 defeat they got from University when the teams last played back in March. Can the Highlanders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.