Softball Preview: Pace Patriots vs. Orange Beach Makos
Pace is on a 24-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Orange Beach is on a seven-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Pace Patriots will take on the Orange Beach Makos at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Pace's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Navarre with a sharp 13-0 win.
Jayden Heavener made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Heavener has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 19 consecutive pitching appearances. Heavener was also stellar in the batter's box, firing off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tatum Hasting, who fired off two home runs, three runs, and four RBI while going 3-for-4. Shelby McKenzie was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Orange Beach made easy work of Fairhope on Thursday and carried off a 9-2 victory.
Like Pace, Orange Beach also got a great game from a two-way player: Kaitlynn Robertson. On the mound, she pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Robertson was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and a double.
In other pitching news, MK McMullan and Justine Henderson dominated on the mound. McMullan tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit, while Henderson tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Back at the plate, Katie King was excellent, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Daigle Wilson, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Pace's win bumped their record up to 21-1. As for Orange Beach, their victory bumped their record up to 35-1.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Pace has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .461. However, it's not like Orange Beach struggles in that department as they've averaged .482. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pace couldn't quite finish off Orange Beach in their previous matchup back in March and fell 4-2. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Orange Beach's Kaylee Favors, who struck out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off eight hits. Now that Pace knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
