The Mercy Monarchs will stay at home for another game and welcome the Auburn Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Mercy will be strutting in after a victory while Auburn will be coming in after a loss.
Last Thursday, Mercy had just enough and edged Omaha Central out 10-9.
Kayla Kratz made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up six earned (and three unearned) runs off seven hits. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in hits. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 4-for-5.
In other batting news, Mercy let Lily Podany and Cloe King loose on the outfield. Podany scored three runs while going 4-for-5, while King went 4-for-5 with three RBI and a double. The dominant performance also gave Podany a new career-high in hits. Another player making a difference was Alexis Neufind, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 3-for-4.
Mercy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .575. That's a new trend for them: their average OBP was 34.5% earlier this season, but in their last five contests they've averaged 44%.
Meanwhile, after some red-hot attacks at the plate in their last nine matches, Auburn finally came back down to earth on Tuesday. They fell just short of Westview by a score of 3-1. The Bulldogs' defeat signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.
Gretchen Paschal spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on three hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Auburn saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Addison Darnell, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Mercy's win bumped their record up to 6-16. As for Auburn, their loss dropped their record down to 15-6.
Tuesday's matchup will be a test for both team's pitchers. Mercy hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of 0. However, it's not like Auburn struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
