The Caroline Cavaliers will square off against the Atlee Raiders at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Caroline 2.1, Atlee 3.1) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Caroline fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against King George on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Foxes by a score of 8-7. That's two games in a row now that the Cavaliers have lost by just one run.
Jaidyn Tingen was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 7.1 innings while giving up five earned (and three unearned) runs off six hits. Tingen was even better at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one double.
Tingen wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Ava Anderson, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Atlee hadn't done well against Hanover recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Raiders won by a run and slipped past the Hawks 8-7.
Like Caroline, Atlee also got a great game from a two-way player: Sierra Kegley. On the mound, she tossed seven innings while giving up three earned (and four unearned) runs off seven hits. Kegley has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Camdyn Metts, who went 2-for-4 with one triple and one run. Another player making a difference was Natalie Sponaugle, who went 2-for-4 with one run and one double.
Atlee kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Atlee is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 9-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.4 runs over those games. As for Caroline, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 11-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Caroline has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Atlee struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
