It's hard to turn regular season success into postseason wins, a fact Westwood can now relate to. They took a 5-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the James Island Trojans on Thursday.
Makayla Drakeford spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned runs on five hits and racked up 13 Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 15 consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Marguerite Ridgeway made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and fired off two home runs while going 2-for-3.
Even though they lost, Westwood didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 13 strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as James Island only tossed six.
On James Island's side, they also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Gracie Sue Billings gave up just two earned runs on four hits and racked up six Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Reagan Wheatley, who fired off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Ellie Wohlscheid, who went 1-for-3 with a home run.
Westwood has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 10-13 record this season. As for James Island, the victory (which was their fifth in a row) raised their record to 14-6.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Westwood will take on Colleton County at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. As for James Island, they will stay at home for another game and welcome Hartsville at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. James Island is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
