Softball Game Preview: Central Raiders vs. Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted Lakers

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Previous 4 Games

05/09/22 - Away	16-4 W
05/20/21 - Home	11-1 W
04/25/17 - Home	8-5 W
05/16/16 - Away	12-6 W

Central is a perfect 4-0 against Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted since May of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Raiders will be playing in front of their home fans against the Lakers at 4:00 p.m. Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Central, who comes in off a win.

Central took a seven-run defeat the last time they faced off against Maranatha Christian Academy, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Raiders came out on top in a nail-biter against the Mustangs on Tuesday, sneaking past 2-1. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Raiders.

Glencoe-Silver Lake hit Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted with a five-run second inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Lakers took a 10-5 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Panthers.

Kirsten Heber spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered six earned (and four unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up 11 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than ten strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Aubrey Barnes was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Breckyn Jonell, who went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted has been struggling recently as they've lost seven of their last nine games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 6-8 record this season. As for Central, their win bumped their record up to 6-4.

Central took their victory against Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted in their previous matchup back in May of 2022 by a conclusive 16-4 score. Do the Raiders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Lakers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.