Softball Preview: Saratoga Falcons vs. King's Academy Knights
Saratoga is on a three-game streak of home wins, while King's Academy is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Saratoga Falcons will take on the King's Academy Knights at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Saratoga: 4.1, King's Academy: 2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Last Thursday, Saratoga earned a 9-5 victory over Palo Alto.
Anaya Shah was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up five earned runs off nine hits. Shah was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-1.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sydney Riera, who scored a run while going 3-for-3. Eva Semin was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, King's Academy was able to grind out a solid win over Carlmont on Friday, taking the game 6-1.
Katia Nesper spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered one run (which was unearned) on three hits and racked up 14 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in 14 consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, King's Academy saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Mia Bennette, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Bella Bliss, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Saratoga is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 11 games, which provided a nice bump to their 11-4 record this season. As for King's Academy, their victory bumped their record up to 18-2.
Monday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Saratoga has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .456. However, it's not like King's Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .444. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Saratoga's way against King's Academy in their previous matchup back in April of 2022 as Saratoga made off with an 8-2 win. Does Saratoga have another victory up their sleeve, or will King's Academy turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
