Softball Preview: Riverdale Country Falcons vs. Horace Mann Lions
Riverdale Country is 0-9 against Horace Mann since April of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Riverdale Country Falcons will head out on the road to challenge the Horace Mann Lions at 4:15 p.m. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Riverdale Country will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Wednesday, then bounced right back against Fieldston on Saturday. Riverdale Country was the clear victor by a 13-2 margin over Fieldston. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest victory Riverdale Country has managed all season.
Emily Van made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (and not a single walk). Van has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in ten consecutive pitching appearances. Van was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tess Evans, who scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Ria Laddha, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Horace Mann had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.3 runs), and they went ahead and made it four on Saturday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 11-10 win over the Wildcats. Horace Mann's victory was all the more impressive since Walton was averaging only four runs allowed on the season.
Horace Mann let Zeba Packer and Lily Sussman loose on the outfield. Packer scored two runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4, while Sussman went 1-for-4 with a home run and four RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Samantha Jackson, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and two runs.
Riverdale Country's record is now 3-9. As for Horace Mann, their win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Riverdale Country has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Horace Mann struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.5. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Riverdale Country suffered a grim 10-3 defeat to Horace Mann in their previous matchup back in April. Can Riverdale Country avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
