Softball Preview: Dawson Bulldogs vs. Hubbard Jaguars
The Dawson Bulldogs will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Hubbard Jaguars at 5:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Hubbard is hoping to do on Friday what Avalon couldn't on Tuesday: put an end to Dawson's winning streak, which now stands at three games. Everything went Dawson's way against Avalon as Dawson made off with a 19-2 win.
Lainey Cates looked comfortable as she pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits.
On the hitting side, Kaylee Payne was a standout: she scored four runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. She is trending in the right direction, as she's improved her point production for three straight games. Callie Marberry was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Hubbard waltzed into their contest on Monday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They were the clear victor by a 14-2 margin over the Panthers.
Alyssa Kraayvanger made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits (and only one walk). Kraayvanger has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in three consecutive pitching appearances. Kraayvanger was also big at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a home run, two runs, and a double.
In other batting news, Hubbard got a big performance out of Darbi Swan, who went 1-for-4 with four RBI, a stolen base, and a run. Another player making a difference was Kennedy Melgares, who scored three runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Dawson has been performing well recently as they've won nine of their last 11 games, which provided a nice bump to their 19-9-1 record this season. As for Hubbard, their victory bumped their record up to 17-8.
Friday's match will be a test for both team's pitchers. Dawson hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .332. However, it's not like Hubbard struggles in that department as they've averaged .467. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Dawson skirted past Hubbard 14-12 when the teams last played back in March. Does Dawson have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hubbard turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
