Softball Preview: Douglas County Huskies vs. ThunderRidge Grizzlies
Douglas County is 8-1 against ThunderRidge since September of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Wednesday. The Douglas County Huskies will head out on the road to face off against the ThunderRidge Grizzlies at 3:00 p.m. Douglas County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.6 runs per game this season.
Last Monday, everything went Douglas County's way against Highlands Ranch as Douglas County made off with a 9-3 win. The result was nothing new for the Huskies, who have now won nine matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Ayal Fulmer was incredible, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. The team also got some help courtesy of Juju Ramirez, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for ThunderRidge, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They blew past Lakewood 14-4 on Tuesday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Grizzlies considering their two-run performance the match before.
Jillian Kelly made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, ThunderRidge let Rowan Daufeldt and Allie Horsford loose on the outfield. Daufeldt went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs, while Horsford scored two runs while going 4-for-4. What's more, Daufeldt also racked up three hits, the mostshe's had since back in August. Another player making a difference was Aubrey Conant, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, ThunderRidge always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .636. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lakewood only posted an OBP of .364.
Douglas County's record now sits at 11-8. As for ThunderRidge, their victory ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 7-11.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. Douglas County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of 0. However, it's not like ThunderRidge struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Douglas County came out on top in a nail-biter against ThunderRidge in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, sneaking past 3-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Douglas County since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
