The Southeast Pirates will take on the St. Vincent-St. Mary Fighting Irish at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Southeast is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.1 runs per game this season.
Southeast came up short against Columbiana on Thursday, falling 14-5.
Leah Mesaros was cooking despite her team's loss, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs. Another player making a difference was Morgan Muncy, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, with a playoff win on the line, St. Vincent-St. Mary rose to the challenge on Thursday. They came out on top against the Colts by a score of 7-3. Seven seems to be a good number for the Fighting Irish as the team scooped up a win with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Kate Krabill spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on five hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, St. Vincent-St. Mary got a massive performance out of Mackenzie McFarland, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one double. Those four RBI gave McFarland a new career-high. Ella Kim was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs and one double.
The victory was the third in a row for St. Vincent-St. Mary, bringing their record up to 12-13. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Southeast, their loss dropped their record down to 16-7.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Southeast hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .362. However, it's not like St. Vincent-St. Mary struggles in that department as they've averaged .325. 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.
