The Waubonsie Valley Warriors will face off against the Neuqua Valley Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with eight defeats in a row, Waubonsie Valley turned things around against Metea Valley on Thursday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Mustangs 2-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Warriors have posted since April 10th.
Molly Quinn spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on five hits and racked up seven Ks.
At the plate, Waubonsie Valley saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Dezirae Kelly, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. That's the most hits Kelly has posted since back in March.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Neuqua Valley). They were the clear victors by a 29-4 margin over Metea Valley on Monday. With that victory, the Wildcats brought their scoring average up to 6.4 runs per game.
Ava Drehs looked comfortable as she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Neuqua Valley let Ashley Pape and Esha Argawal run wild. Pape went 4-for-5 with one home run, six RBI, and three runs, while Argawal went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. Argawal continues to improve, besting her previous run total in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Tegan Spellerberg, who went 3-for-5 with three runs, four RBI, and one stolen base.
Neuqua Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 22 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.9 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matches they've averaged 14.2.
Neuqua Valley is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a massive bump to their 9-9 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.4 runs over those games. As for Waubonsie Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 5-10.
Waubonsie Valley came up short against Neuqua Valley in their previous matchup two weeks ago, falling 6-1. Will the Warriors have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
