Softball Preview: Whiteoak Wildcats vs. Manchester Greyhounds
The Whiteoak Wildcats will head out on the road to square off against the Manchester Greyhounds at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Things were looking good for Whiteoak after they put the first points on the board on Thursday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell just short of Lynchburg-Clay by a score of 4-2. Whiteoak has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Bri Hill spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on 11 hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than six innings in four consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Kylee Hamm made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI. Madison Davidson was another key contributor, going 2-for-2 with a stolen base and a double.
Meanwhile, Thursday just wasn't the day for Manchester's offense. They took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of Fayetteville-Perry on Thursday. It was the first time this season that Manchester let down their fans at home.
Manchester also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Rylie Young gave up three runs (all of which were unearned) on nine hits and racked up eight Ks.
Whiteoak's loss ended a four-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 4-5. As for Manchester, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 6-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Whiteoak has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Manchester struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.4. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
