The Newport - Bellevue Knights will face off against the Eastside Catholic Crusaders at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Newport - Bellevue has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the game with three straight defeats, while Eastside Catholic will come in with three straight wins.
Newport - Bellevue managed to slip by Cedarcrest the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Knights lost 16-9 to the Red Wolves on Friday.
Emma Chen was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one stolen base. Lauren Blank was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Eastside Catholic was not the first on the board on Monday, but they got there more often. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 victory over Lincoln.
Kailee McCauley made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing seven innings while giving up three earned runs off six hits. McCauley was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
McCauley wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Julian Crawford, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one double. Logan McCloskey also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Eastside Catholic's win bumped their record up to 7-10. As for Newport - Bellevue, they now have a losing record of 9-10.
Wednesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Newport - Bellevue has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .516. However, it's not like Eastside Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged .442. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
