Softball Preview: West Davidson Dragons vs. East Davidson Golden Eagles
West Davidson is 8-2 against East Davidson since March of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The West Davidson Dragons will head out on the road to face off against the East Davidson Golden Eagles at 6:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
West Davidson entered their tilt with Salisbury with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They never let the Hornets onto the board and left with a 10-0 victory on Tuesday.
Hannah Rollins made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 17 over seven innings pitched. Rollins was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, West Davidson let Taylor Forrest and Breanna Payne loose on the outfield. Forrest scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-4, while Payne scored three runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Payne is trending in the right direction, as she's improved her point production for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Abigail Leonard, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, East Davidson got the win against South Davidson back in March by a conclusive 17-0. The win was just what East Davidson needed coming off of a 13-4 loss in their prior matchup.
SOPHIE HAMPTON was a standout: she got on base in three of her five plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and a triple. Nikki Beal was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-2.
West Davidson has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matches, which provided a nice bump to their 8-5 record this season. As for East Davidson, they pushed their record up to 7-4 with that victory, which was their third straight on the road.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. West Davidson has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .565. However, it's not like East Davidson struggles in that department as they've averaged .586. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
West Davidson came out on top in a nail-biter against East Davidson when the teams last played back in May of 2023, sneaking past 3-2. Does West Davidson have another victory up their sleeve, or will East Davidson turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
