Whitehall hasn't had much luck against Eleva-Strum recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Vikings will be playing in front of their home fans against the Cardinals at 5:00 p.m.
On Friday, Whitehall didn't have quite enough to beat Mondovi and fell 5-4.
Regan Clatt put in work no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over 6.2 innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. Clatt was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, Harlow Foss made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Taylor Johnson, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Eleva-Strum hadn't done well against Melrose-Mindoro recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Cardinals walked away with a 7-3 victory over the Mustangs.
Like Whitehall, Eleva-Strum also got a great game from a two-way player: Ruby Bartholomew. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits (and not a single walk). Bartholomew has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Maddea Brown was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one double. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Mariah Steffenson was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Eleva-Strum is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a massive bump to their 9-6 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Whitehall, their loss dropped their record down to 2-14.
Whitehall suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Eleva-Strum in their previous matchup last Friday. Will the Vikings have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
