Softball Preview: Central A & M Raiders vs. Meridian Hawks
Central A & M is 0-10 against Meridian since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Central A & M Raiders will be playing at home against the Meridian Hawks at 4:30 p.m. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a four-game winning streak alive.
Central A & M will bounce into Wednesday's match after beating Tuscola, who they hadn't topped in nine consecutive meetings. Central A & M narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Tuscola 4-3.
Gwyn Hardimon spent all 13 innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on nine hits and racked up 12 Ks. Those 13 innings set a new season-high mark for her.
On the hitting side, Alana Harlow was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-6. Another player making a difference was Kayla McPeak, who went 2-for-7 with two RBI and a double.
Meanwhile, Meridian stacked a sixth blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Saturday. They were the clear victor by an 11-1 margin over Okaw Valley.
Meridian also let their pitcher toss all six innings played and she was also dialed-in: Katelyn Clapp gave up only one earned run on three hits.
At the plate, Meridian let Madi Kapchinskie and Ashley Schelling loose on the outfield. Kapchinskie scored four runs and stole two bases while going 4-for-4, while Schelling went 3-for-3 with four RBI, a stolen base, and a double. Julia Meisenhelter was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
Central A & M's victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 9-7. As for Meridian, their win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-3.
Wednesday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Central A & M hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .348. However, it's not like Meridian struggles in that department as they've averaged .313. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Central A & M might still be hurting after the 11-0 defeat they got from Meridian in their previous meeting last Monday. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Schelling, who didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Now that Central A & M knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
