Softball Preview: Prestonwood Christian Lions vs. John Paul II Cardinals
Prestonwood Christian is 0-5 against John Paul II since March of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Prestonwood Christian Lions will head out on the road to face off against the John Paul II Cardinals at 6:00 p.m. After both teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Monday.
The third road game was the charm for Prestonwood Christian, as they earned their first road win of the season. They blew past Parish Episcopal 13-6. The win was just what Prestonwood Christian needed coming off of an 11-0 loss in their prior match.
Laila George made a splash no matter where she played. She pitched seven innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off 11 hits. George has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings every time she's pitched this season. George was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs, and a triple.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ryan Tessier, who fired off two home runs, three runs, and four RBI while going 3-for-5. Teagan Nolan was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, John Paul II stacked a 17th blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 20-1 margin over Nolan Catholic. John Paul II is really starting to get used to good results now that the team's won 12 straight.
Like Prestonwood Christian, John Paul II also got a great game from a two-way player: Carly Holman. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (she also only allowed one walk). Holman was even better at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three RBI, a triple, and a double.
In other batting news, Burkley Barnes was incredible, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with a home run, five RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Allie Kloeber, who scored two runs while going 2-for-2.
Prestonwood Christian's record now sits at 2-3. As for John Paul II, their victory was their tenth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 28-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Prestonwood Christian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like John Paul II struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.7. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Prestonwood Christian might still be hurting after the 11-0 defeat they got from John Paul II when the teams last played last Thursday. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Holman, who didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. Now that Prestonwood Christian knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
