The Wood Wildcats will square off against the Central Catholic Raiders at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Wood comes in on three and Central Catholic on five.
Wood is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They came out on top against Pioneer by a score of 8-5. That's two games straight that the Wildcats have won by exactly three runs.
Sophia Criswell made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jamaya Garrett, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. Kailyn Scott also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, Central Catholic made easy work of Oakdale on Tuesday and carried off a 16-9 win. The result was nothing new for the Raiders, who have now won 13 games by six runs or more so far this season.
Central Catholic also got a great performance from Sophia Santillan as she struck out six batters over 5.2 innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits.
At the plate, Ceriah Fitzhugh was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Another player making a difference was Carsyn Lomeli-Garcia, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple.
Central Catholic kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 23 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 12 hits in five consecutive contests.
Wood's record is now 17-9. As for Central Catholic, their record now sits at 22-8.
Saturday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Wood has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .460. However, it's not like Central Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged .462. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
