Softball Preview: Whitko Wildcats vs. Heritage Patriots
The Whitko Wildcats will head out on the road to face off against the Heritage Patriots at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.
Last Wednesday, it was a hard-fought game, but Whitko had to settle for a 4-3 loss against Wabash.
Cassidy Skinner put in work no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 21 batters over 11 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off eight hits. Skinner has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 11 consecutive pitching appearances. Skinner was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing three bases while going 2-for-5.
In other batting news, Hope Bradley made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and got on base in all five of her plate appearances with a stolen base and an RBI. Kaylee Adkins was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-5.
Even though they lost, Whitko didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 21 strikeouts. That's the most strikeouts they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Heritage can now show off six landslide victories after their most recent match on Wednesday. Everything went their way against Bluffton as Heritage made off with a 10-0 win. Winning may never get old, but Heritage sure is getting used to it with their third in a row.
Like Whitko, Heritage also got a great game from a two-way player: Danica Fuller. She didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. Fuller was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing four bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Grace Guenthner, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Lucy Buuck, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Whitko's defeat dropped their record down to 6-11. As for Heritage, the victory got them back to even at 7-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Whitko has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Heritage struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.9. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
