Softball Preview: Abbott Panthers vs. Dawson Bulldogs
The Abbott Panthers will head out on the road to challenge the Dawson Bulldogs at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Abbott is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 10.3 runs per game this season.
Abbott can now show off 12 landslide victories after their most recent game on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by an 18-9 margin over Avalon. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for Abbott considering their two-run performance the match before.
Abby Neill made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over six innings while giving up five earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. Neill was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in three of her six plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Maddie Svacina, who scored three runs while going 3-for-5. Kinley Grayson was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-5.
Meanwhile, Dawson unfortunately witnessed the end of their six-game winning streak on Tuesday. Their tough 11-1 defeat to Italy might stick with them for a while. Having soared to a lofty 15 runs in the game before, Dawson couldn't push the score so high this time.
Dawson saw one different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Callie Marberry, who went 1-for-2 with a stolen base and an RBI.
Abbott's victory bumped their record up to 13-11. As for Dawson, their loss ended a four-game streak of away wins and brought them to 16-8-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Abbott has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Dawson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.9. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Abbott came up short against Dawson when the teams last played back in March, falling 13-9. Can Abbott avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
