Softball Preview: Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays vs. Ponca Indians
Guardian Angels Central Catholic is 8-2 against Ponca since August of 2020, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays will head out on the road to face off against the Ponca Indians. Guardian Angels Central Catholic will be coming into the game with an undefeated record on the line.
Last Saturday, Guardian Angels Central Catholic was able to grind out a solid win over Aquinas, taking the game 4-1.
Abi Toline spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered one run (which was unearned) on five hits and racked up six Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts every time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Kennedy Baumert was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-3. Kate Jansen also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Ponca). They were the clear victor by a 13-4 margin over South Sioux City on Saturday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Indians as it spelled an end to their eight-game losing streak dating back to last season.
Jaeden Hughes was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched five innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off six hits. Hughes was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-1 with two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sophia Cleveland, who scored four runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Lyndsee Waldee, who went 2-for-3 with a triple, two RBI, and a run.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Ponca always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .576. The last time their OBP was this high was back in September of 2023.
Guardian Angels Central Catholic's record now sits at 8-0. As for Ponca, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-7.
Ponca's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Guardian Angels Central Catholic hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of 0. It's a different story for Ponca, though, as they've only averaged 0. Will they be able to contain Guardian Angels Central Catholic's hitters?
Everything went Guardian Angels Central Catholic's way against Ponca when the teams last played back in August of 2023 as Guardian Angels Central Catholic made off with a 10-2 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Guardian Angels Central Catholic since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
