The Big Walnut Golden Eagles will face off against the Johnstown-Monroe Johnnies at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Big Walnut is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.3 runs per game this season.
On Friday, Big Walnut came up short against Westerville Central and fell 11-6. The Golden Eagles have struggled against the Warhawks recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost meeting.
Big Walnut saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ellie Crotty, who went 1-for-2 with two runs. Another was Anna Thornhill, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Johnstown-Monroe, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They walked away with a 6-1 victory over Newark Catholic on Friday.
Abigail Wood and Jenna Hochanadel did most of the damage at the plate: Wood went 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI, while Hochanadel went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Those two doubles gave Wood a new career-high. Addy Zak was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Johnstown-Monroe pushed their record up to 10-8 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Big Walnut, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-10.
Saturday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Big Walnut hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .332. However, it's not like Johnstown-Monroe struggles in that department as they've averaged .322. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Big Walnut might still be hurting after the 16-9 loss they got from Johnstown-Monroe in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Will the Golden Eagles have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
