Softball Preview: Osceola Warriors vs. Horizon Hawks
The Osceola Warriors will challenge the Horizon Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Osceola sitting on four straight victories and Horizon on seven.
Osceola is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 win over Auburndale.
Aliyah Lai spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered one run (which was unearned) on four hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in nine consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Osceola's victory was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Lisa Cisliek, who went 2-for-3 with a double. Another player making a difference was Brianna Shephard, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in two of her three plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Horizon never let their opponents score on Tuesday. They walked away with a 4-0 win over River Ridge.
The result came thanks to Mackenzie Duncan's shutout, as she gave up just one hit and racked up 11 Ks.
Osceola has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 19-10 record this season. As for Horizon, their victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 22-5.
Friday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Osceola has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .444. However, it's not like Horizon struggles in that department as they've averaged .440. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Osceola was able to grind out a solid win over Horizon in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, winning 6-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Osceola 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
