Softball Preview: Triton Hawks vs. Western Harnett Eagles
The Triton Hawks will be playing in front of their home fans against the Western Harnett Eagles at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Triton is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 12.5 runs per game this season.
Triton unfortunately witnessed the end of their five-game winning streak on Wednesday. They suffered a rough 10-1 defeat at the hands of South Johnston. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Triton in their matchups with South Johnston: they've now lost nine in a row.
Triton saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Bailey Johnson, who went 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI.
Meanwhile, Western Harnett stacked a tenth blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Monday. They blew past Overhills 18-3. The victory was familiar territory for Western Harnett who now have ten in a row.
Grace Andersen made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits (she also only allowed one walk). Andersen was even better at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing four bases while getting on base in two of her four plate appearances. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last six times she's played.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Faith Woodard, who scored three runs and stole five bases while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Madison Wear, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-2.
Triton's defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 10-4. As for Western Harnett, their win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-3.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. Triton hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .434. However, it's not like Western Harnett struggles in that department as they've averaged .436. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Triton was able to grind out a solid victory over Western Harnett in their previous matchup back in May of 2023, winning 5-1. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Western Harnett's Katie Neel, who struck out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Now that she won't be playing on Tuesday, will it be that much easier for Triton to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
