The Lightridge Bolts will take on the Woodgrove Wolverines at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams are still undefeated (Lightridge has four wins , while Woodgrove has 31 dating back to last season).
Lightridge proved they can win big on Tuesday (they won by 23) and on Friday they proved they can win the close ones too. They won by a run and slipped past Paul VI 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Bolts have posted since May 7, 2024.
Peyton Robinson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three runs (all of which were unearned) on five hits and racked up 14 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Maya Thaivalappil was excellent, going 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Riley Thomas, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Woodgrove got the win against Independence on Thursday by a conclusive 13-7. The result was nothing new for the Wolverines, who have now won three games by six runs or more so far this season.
The team relied heavily on Addie McCullers, who went 3-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That triple marked the first that she hit this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Taylor Harper, who scored three runs while going 3-for-5.
Woodgrove kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in six consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Woodgrove pushed their record up to 5-0 with the win, which was their 13th straight on the road dating back to last season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.4 runs on average over those games. As for Lightridge, their record now sits at 4-0.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lightridge hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .375. However, it's not like Woodgrove struggles in that department as they've averaged .476. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lightridge suffered a grim 13-1 defeat to Woodgrove in their previous matchup back in March of 2023. Can Lightridge avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
