Softball Preview: Lakewood Tigers vs. Valor Christian Eagles
The Lakewood Tigers will head out to take on the Valor Christian Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Lakewood is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
On Monday, Lakewood needed a bit of extra time to put away Bear Creek. They had just enough and edged the Bears out 9-8. The victory was some much needed relief for the Tigers as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
NeVaeh Roybal made a splash while hitting and pitching. She pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in home runs. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Lucy Retzer was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-4. Alanni Maddux was another key player, going 2-for-5 with two stolen bases and an RBI.
Meanwhile, Valor Christian never let their opponents score on Saturday. Everything went their way against Ralston Valley as Valor Christian made off with a 13-0 win. Considering the Eagles have won 11 games by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Lakewood, Valor Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Elizabeth Canales. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Canales was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Kendall Ferguson was incredible, going 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and a double. Another player making a difference was Caitlin Taylor, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Valor Christian kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 19 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now hit at least eight hits in six consecutive matches.
Lakewood's victory ended a six-game drought at home and bumped them up to 8-13. As for Valor Christian, their win was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 17-4.
Wednesday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Lakewood hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of 0. However, it's not like Valor Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lakewood came up short against Valor Christian when the teams last played two weeks ago, falling 3-0. Can Lakewood avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
