The St. Ursula Academy Bulldogs will head out to challenge the Taylor Yellowjackets at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
St. Ursula Academy came out on top against Boone County on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive ten-run first inning. The Bulldogs blew past the Rebels 12-2. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Bulldogs.
J Booth was incredible, going a perfect 1-for-1 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That triple was her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of V Oberkorn, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Taylor never let their opponents score on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over Reading. The victory was nothing new for the Yellowjackets as they're now sitting on five straight.
Ellie Stafford was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 14 over five innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ady Franke, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI and one run. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Olivia Habig, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Taylor 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 got at least 11 hits in five consecutive matchups.
Taylor's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-4. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.3 runs on average over those games. As for St. Ursula Academy, their record now sits at 11-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. St. Ursula Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 11.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Taylor struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
St. Ursula Academy came up short against Taylor when the teams last played back in April of 2017, falling 6-3. Can the Bulldogs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
