Softball Game Preview: Dalton Bulldogs vs. Rittman Indians

For the second straight game, Dalton will face off against Rittman. The Bulldogs will square off against the Indians at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Dalton is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.

Dalton took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Rittman a 10-0 shutout. The matchup marked the Bulldogs' most dominant victory of the season so far.

Mei Simmons

Batters Struck Out

04/16/25 vs Rittman	12
04/09/25 vs Waynedale	9
04/04/25 @ Canton South	14
03/31/25 vs Smithville	10
03/29/25 @ Alliance	7

Mei Simmons made a big impact no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over six innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.

In other batting news, Kenna Doty and Skylar Fletcher did most of the damage at the plate: Doty went a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Fletcher scored two runs while going 3-for-3. That triple marked the first that Doty hit this season. Another player making a difference was Hannah Wenger, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-4.

Dalton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .556. The last time their OBP was this high was back in April of 2024.

Dalton pushed their record up to 6-4 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Rittman, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost eight of their last nine contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-10 record this season.

Rittman's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Dalton hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .359. It's a different story for Rittman, though, as they've only averaged .231. Will they be able to contain Dalton's hitters? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.