Springfield is 1-9 against McDonald since April of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Tigers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Blue Devils at 5:00 p.m. Springfield is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.9 runs per game this season.
Western Reserve hit Springfield with a four-run sixth inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Tigers fell just short of the Blue Devils by a score of 10-8. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Tigers have suffered since April 18th.
Giuliana Battaglini led a balanced group of hitters, going 2-for-3 with one home run and five RBI. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season. Another player making a difference was Makenna Wymer, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and one double.
Meanwhile, McDonald waltzed into their game on Monday with 13 straight wins... but they left with 14. Everything went their way against the Rockets as they made off with an 11-1 victory. 11 seems to be a good number for the Blue Devils as the team scooped up a win with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Aubrey Evans was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 14 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 13 consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, McDonald let Miley Titus and Marissa Colarich run wild. Titus went 2-for-3 with four runs and one stolen base, while Colarich went 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. Those four runs gave Titus a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Clair O'Leary, who went 1-for-3 with three runs.
McDonald's victory bumped their record up to 16-2. As for Springfield, their loss dropped their record down to 10-8.
Wednesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Springfield hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. However, it's not like McDonald struggles in that department as they've averaged .334. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Springfield might still be hurting after the 11-0 defeat they got from McDonald in their previous matchup on Thursday. Will the Tigers 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.
