Softball Preview: Independence Patriots vs. Charlotte Catholic Cougars
Independence has enjoyed a five-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. After both having extra time off, they and the Charlotte Catholic Cougars will dust off their jerseys to square off against one another at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Independence is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7.7 runs per game this season.
Independence pushed their score all the way to 11 last Thursday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell victim to a rough 21-11 loss at the hands of Cox Mill. That's two games in a row now that Independence has lost by exactly ten runs.
Gianna McCloud was cooking despite her team's loss, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with a home run, four RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Morgan Clark, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and a double.
Even though they lost, Independence kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Catholic put the finishing touches on their fifth blowout victory of the season two weeks ago. Everything went their way against Ardrey Kell as Charlotte Catholic made off with a 13-6 victory.
Rachel Wildman was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up three earned (and three unearned) runs off nine hits. Wildman has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than six innings in four consecutive pitching appearances. Wildman was even better at the plate, going 5-for-5 with six RBI and a double.
In other batting news, Madden Glossner was excellent, scoring two runs while going 2-for-5. The team also got some help courtesy of Cameron Bitter, who went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Independence's defeat dropped their record down to 7-4-1. As for Charlotte Catholic, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 6-5 record this season.
Independence skirted past Charlotte Catholic 7-6 in their previous matchup back in March. The rematch might be a little tougher for Independence since the team 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
