Heritage has won three straight games at home, while Wake Forest has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Huskies will welcome the Cougars at 5:00 p.m. Heritage will aim to continue their four-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.
Heritage is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past Knightdale 20-3 on Monday. The result was nothing new for the Huskies, who have now won six matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Gianna Deverna made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over three innings while giving up three earned runs off only one hit. Deverna was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Zoelle Davidson was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with six RBI, four runs, and two triples. Those two triples gave her a new career-high. Sam Langdon was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run and four RBI.
Heritage kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Wake Forest didn't have quite enough to beat Wakefield on Monday and fell 6-5. The loss was the Cougars' first of the season.
Jil Livengood spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and four unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up 11 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in 12 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Wake Forest saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Abbey Lauer, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Heritage's victory bumped their record up to 9-6. As for Wake Forest, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 12-1.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Heritage hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .350. However, it's not like Wake Forest struggles in that department as they've averaged .323. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Heritage might still be hurting after the 8-0 defeat they got from Wake Forest in their previous meeting back in March. Will the Huskies have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
