Softball Preview: Cloverleaf Colts vs. Wooster Generals
Cloverleaf and Wooster are an even 3-3 against one another since April of 2016, but likely not for long. The Cloverleaf Colts will be playing at home against the Wooster Generals at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Cloverleaf is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7.9 runs per game this season.
Cloverleaf will head into Thursday's matchup on the come-up: they were handed a 15-point defeat in their previous outing, but they didn't let that bad energy affect their game against Woodridge on Thursday. Cloverleaf narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Woodridge 7-5.
Alyson Croft made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off two hits. Croft has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in five consecutive pitching appearances. Croft was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Aubrey Willig, who went 3-for-4 with a home run, a stolen base, and two RBI. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Zoe Brezina, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Thursday just wasn't the day for Wooster's offense. Their rough 10-0 loss to Mt. Vernon on Thursday might stick with them for a while. Wooster just can't catch a break and has now endured three defeats in a row.
Cloverleaf now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Wooster, their loss dropped their record down to 1-10.
Wooster's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Cloverleaf has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.9 hits per game. It's a different story for Wooster, though, as they've been averaging 13.8. Given Cloverleaf's sizable advantage in that area, Wooster will need to find a way to close that gap.
Cloverleaf took their victory against Wooster when the teams last played back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 12-1. Will Cloverleaf repeat their success, or does Wooster have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
