Softball Game Preview: Whitney Young Dolphins vs. Maine East Blue Demons

The Whitney Young Dolphins will take on the Maine East Blue Demons at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The timing is sure in Whitney Young's favor as the team sits on six straight wins at home while Maine East has been banged up by six consecutive losses on the road dating back to last season.

Whitney Young will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs two weeks ago, then bounced right back against Sandburg on Monday. The Dolphins walked away with a 13-8 victory over the Eagles.

The team relied heavily on Natalie Nieves, who went 3-for-5 with one home run, seven RBI, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Danielle Smith was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.

Meanwhile, Thursday just wasn't the day for Maine East's offense. They lost 11-0 to Elmwood Park on Thursday. Having soared to a lofty 16 runs in the game before, the Blue Demons' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.

Whitney Young has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 22-10-1 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.1 runs on average over those games. As for Maine East, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-16.

Maine East's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Whitney Young hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .341. It's a different story for Maine East, though, as they've only averaged .172. Will they be able to contain Whitney Young's hitters?

Whitney Young couldn't quite get it done against Maine East in their previous meeting back in April of 2016 as they fell 7-3. Will the Dolphins have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.