The Eastside Catholic Crusaders will head out on the road to square off against the Newport - Bellevue Knights at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Eastside Catholic has three straight victories, Newport - Bellevue has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Eastside Catholic took a ten-run loss the last time they faced off against Lincoln, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Crusaders skirted past the Lynx 4-3.
Kailee McCauley made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched seven innings while giving up three earned runs off six hits. McCauley was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
McCauley wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Julian Crawford, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one double. Logan McCloskey also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Newport - Bellevue couldn't beat Cedarcrest on Friday even though they stacked five runs on them in the sixth inning. The Knights lost 16-9 to the Red Wolves.
Emma Chen was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Lauren Blank, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Eastside Catholic's record is now 7-10. As for Newport - Bellevue, they now have a losing record of 9-10.
Wednesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Eastside Catholic hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .316. However, it's not like Newport - Bellevue struggles in that department as they've averaged .398. 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.
