The Kearney Catholic Stars will take on the Central City Bison in a tournament on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Central City will take on a team with plenty of momentum: Kearney Catholic extended their winning streak to nine on Saturday. The Stars were the clear victors by a 16-2 margin over Auburn.
Raegan Ruyle made a big impact no matter where she played. She tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tessa Colling, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Kynlee Ruyle was another key player, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs.
Kearney Catholic always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .714. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .500 or higher in seven consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Central City was not the first on the board on Friday, but they got there more often. They blew past Twin River 16-5. The win continues a trend for the Bison in their matchups with the Titans: they've now won four in a row.
Like Kearney Catholic, Central City also got a great game from a two-way player: Payton Burbach. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up five earned runs off five hits. Burbach was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Addie Burbach was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, four runs, and three RBI. Those four runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Emma Brandes, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Central City's victory bumped their record up to 24-7. As for Kearney Catholic, their win bumped their record up to 27-5.
Both the two teams just can't seem to miss. Kearney Catholic has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.2 hits per game. However, it's not like Central City struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.4 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Kearney Catholic took their victory against Central City when the teams last played back in September by a conclusive 10-0 score. Do the Stars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bison turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
