Softball Preview: Pine Forest Trojans vs. Union Pines Vikings
The Pine Forest Trojans will head out on the road to challenge the Union Pines Vikings at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Union Pines took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Pine Forest, who comes in off a win.
Pine Forest took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They skirted past Overhills 3-2.
Savannah Winstead was excellent, scoring a run and stealing three bases while going 3-for-3.
Meanwhile, Union Pines started off well but failed to capitalize on an early lead against Scotland. They lost 13-4 to the Fighting Scots on Friday. The loss continues a trend for Union Pines in their matchups with Scotland: they've now lost six in a row.
Kaitlyn Blue was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: she struck out 11 batters over six innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits (and only one walk).
On the hitting side, Natalie Auman made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with a home run. Kileigh Cameron was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Even though they lost, Union Pines didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 12 strikeouts. That's the most strikeouts they've managed all season.
Pine Forest's victory bumped their record up to 8-10. As for Union Pines, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-6.
Monday's match will be a test for both team's pitchers. Pine Forest hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .343. However, it's not like Union Pines struggles in that department as they've averaged .350. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pine Forest skirted past Union Pines 9-8 when the teams last played back in March of 2019. Does Pine Forest have another victory up their sleeve, or will Union Pines turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
