Softball Preview: George Washington Patriots vs. Thomas Jefferson Spartans
The George Washington Patriots and the Thomas Jefferson Spartans are set to duel on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (George Washington has three straight wins, Thomas Jefferson has four straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Tuesday, George Washington beat Vista PEAK Prep 9-5.
Avia Marusich made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off eight hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and a double.
In other batting news, Maggie Duffy was excellent, scoring three runs while getting on base in two of her four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Leilani Martin, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
George Washington kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now hit at least 11 hits in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Thomas Jefferson came up short against Denver South on Tuesday and fell 5-2.
Ariana Winn made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
George Washington has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matches, which provided a massive bump to their 12-9 record this season. As for Thomas Jefferson, their loss dropped their record down to 10-10.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both team's pitchers. George Washington hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of 0. However, it's not like Thomas Jefferson 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.
George Washington skirted past Thomas Jefferson 9-8 when the teams last played back in September. The rematch might be a little tougher for George Washington since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
