Softball Game Preview: Sacred Heart Academy vs. Shelton Gaels

Sacred Heart Academy will take on the Shelton Gaels at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Sacred Heart Academy has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the matchup with four straight losses, while Shelton will come in with three straight victories.

The home team had won the previous four meetings between Sacred Heart Academy and Guilford, and Guilford kept the tradition alive. Sacred Heart Academy fell just short of Guilford by a score of 6-5 on Tuesday.

While Shelton didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-12), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They blew past Hillhouse 14-1 on Monday. Considering the Gaels have won six contests by more than eight runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.

Sammi Denihan was a major factor no matter where she played. She tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of her three plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.

In other batting news, Tori Silva was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. Avery Wheeler was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.

Shelton hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in three consecutive games.

Shelton's win bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Sacred Heart Academy, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-4.

Everything went Sacred Heart Academy's way against Shelton when the teams last played back in May of 2023, as Sacred Heart Academy made off with a 12-0 victory. Does Sacred Heart Academy have another victory up their sleeve, or will Shelton turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.