Softball Preview: Encinal Jets vs. Piedmont Highlanders
Encinal is 1-9 against Piedmont since May of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Encinal Jets will look to defend their home field against the Piedmont Highlanders at 4:00 p.m. Encinal is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 9.7 runs per game this season.
Encinal unfortunately witnessed the end of their five-game winning streak on Tuesday. They fell 6-1 to Alameda. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest runs Encinal has scored all season.
Encinal saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Lola Whalen, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Piedmont can now show off five landslide victories after their most recent contest on Monday. They blew past Healdsburg 19-1. Piedmont's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Miya Fujimoto made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Fujimoto has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up a single walk in three consecutive pitching appearances. Fujimoto was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, four RBI, and a double.
In other batting news, Mia Leggett and Sophena Tuli did most of the damage at the plate: Leggett got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs, a triple, and two RBI, while Tuli scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Sabrina Olliphant was another key contributor, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Encinal's defeat ended a 15-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 12-3. As for Piedmont, the win was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 6-2.
Both both teams just can't seem to miss. Encinal has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.5 hits per game. However, it's not like Piedmont struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.1. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Encinal's way against Piedmont in their previous matchup back in April of 2023 as Encinal made off with a 20-7 victory. Does Encinal have another victory up their sleeve, or will Piedmont turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
