Softball Preview: Mount Pleasant Tigers vs. Union Academy Cardinals
Mount Pleasant and Union Academy are an even 3-3 against one another since April of 2022, but likely not for long. The Mount Pleasant Tigers will head out on the road to take on the Union Academy Cardinals at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Mount Pleasant entered their tilt with Central Davidson with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 win over the Spartans on Thursday. That's two games straight that Mount Pleasant has won by just one run.
Mount Pleasant's victory was truly a team effort as seven different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Caylin Herring, who went 1-for-3 with a triple. Kylah Shifflett was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
Meanwhile, Union Academy can now show off four landslide victories after their most recent match two weeks ago. They blew past Gray Stone Day 18-0. While fans of Union Academy might be used to big wins, the 18-run margin marked the team's biggest win yet this season.
Avery Wilson made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and only one hit over four innings pitched. Wilson has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances. Wilson was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Union Academy got a massive performance out of Shelby Brooks, who went 2-for-3 with five RBI, two runs, and a triple. Another player making a difference was Riley Griffin, who scored three runs while going 3-for-3.
Mount Pleasant's victory bumped their record up to 7-2. As for Union Academy, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 7-3 record this season.
Mount Pleasant's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's contest. Mount Pleasant has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Union Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Mount Pleasant continue to outrun the ball?
Mount Pleasant beat Union Academy 9-4 in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Union Academy's Gracie Hollingsworth, who struck out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and seven unearned) runs off seven hits. Now that she won't be playing on Tuesday, will it be that much easier for Mount Pleasant to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
