Softball Preview: St. Edward Green Wave vs. Chicago Christian Knights
St. Edward is 0-10 against Chicago Christian since April of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The St. Edward Green Wave will be playing at home against the Chicago Christian Knights at 4:30 p.m. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Chicago Christian is hoping to do on Tuesday what Harvest Christian Academy couldn't on Monday: put an end to St. Edward's winning streak, which now stands at four games. St. Edward came out on top against Harvest Christian Academy by a score of 9-4.
Alaina Nolan was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 15 batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits (and not a single walk). Nolan has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than ten strikeouts in seven consecutive pitching appearances. Nolan was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Sarah Gurley was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Taylor Dawson was another key contributor, going 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Meanwhile, after low-scoring totals in their previous three contests, Chicago Christian brought some dynamite into their most recent game. They put the hurt on Marian Central Catholic with a sharp 10-2 win on Saturday. Considering Chicago Christian's hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Like St. Edward, Chicago Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Jocelyn Hovanec. She struck out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off 11 hits (and only one walk). Hovanec was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Nikki Swiney, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and a stolen base. Another player making a difference was Abby Rashan, who scored a run and stole a base while going 4-for-5.
St. Edward pushed their record up to 8-8 with that victory, which was their third straight at home. As for Chicago Christian, their win bumped their record up to 6-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. St. Edward has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Chicago Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
St. Edward might still be hurting after the 21-0 defeat they got from Chicago Christian in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. Can St. Edward avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
