Softball Game Preview: Waterford Lancers vs. Norwich Free Academy Wildcats

The Waterford Lancers will challenge the Norwich Free Academy Wildcats at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. Waterford will be looking to extend their current 16-game winning streak.

Waterford is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Connecticut's top teams: Fitch, who was ranked 17th at the time (Waterford was ranked first). The Lancers put the hurt on the Falcons with a sharp 9-2 win on Sunday. Considering the Lancers have won eight contests by more than six runs this season, Sunday's blowout was nothing new.

The scorekeeper got an easy start on Saturday as neither Norwich Free Academy nor Amity Regional made it on the board until the fifth inning. The Wildcats fell 4-0 to the Spartans. The game marked the first time this year in which the Wildcats were not able to get on the board.

Dakota Bourdon spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits and racked up nine Ks.

Waterford's victory was their ninth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 16-1. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.6 runs over those games. As for Norwich Free Academy, their loss ended a six-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 14-4.

Waterford was able to grind out a solid victory over Norwich Free Academy in their previous meeting back in April, winning 9-5. Will the Lancers repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.