Softball Preview: Bremen Braves vs. Marian Catholic Spartans
Bremen is on a five-game streak of home losses, Marian Catholic a four-game streak of away losses, but someone's luck is about to change. The Bremen Braves will take on the Marian Catholic Spartans at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Marian Catholic took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Bremen, who comes in off a win.
Last Tuesday, Bremen got the win against Blue Island Eisenhower by a conclusive 15-4.
Kaycee McManus was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up four earned runs off four hits. McManus has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. McManus was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Sasha Esparza and Hannah Salkeld did most of the damage at the plate: Esparza got on base in all four of her plate appearances with four RBI, two runs, and a triple, while Salkeld scored four runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Brooke Gluszek was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Marian Catholic fell victim to Marist and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They lost 11-0 to the RedHawks.
Bremen's victory bumped their record up to 6-15. As for Marian Catholic, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-17.
Marian Catholic's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Bremen has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .470. It's a different story for Marian Catholic, though, as they've only averaged .324. Will they be able to contain Bremen's hitters?
Bremen suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Marian Catholic in their previous matchup back in May of 2023. Thankfully for Bremen, Katie Pollock (who struck out 12 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and not a single walk)) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
