Southwood hasn't had much luck against Whitko recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Knights will challenge the Wildcats at 5:00 p.m. Southwood is coming into the game hot, having won their last five games.
Southwood came out on top against DeKalb on Saturday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run seventh inning. The Knights walked away with an 8-4 victory over the Barons.
Natalie Sutphin made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed seven innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, Gracie Lambert was incredible, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and one triple. That triple was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Izzy Ashba, who went 4-for-5 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Southwood kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, while Whitko put up some runs on Wednesday, the same can't be said for Lewis Cass. The Wildcats walked away with a 5-0 win over the Kings. The victory continues a trend for the Wildcats in their matchups with the Kings: they've now won four in a row.
The result came thanks to Cassidy Skinner's shutout, as she gave up just four hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Taylor Long, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Those three hits gave her a new career-high.
Whitko's win was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-3. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.5 runs on average over those games. As for Southwood, their record is now 9-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Southwood has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Whitko struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Southwood beat Whitko 5-1 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
