Hamilton has been on the road for four straight, but on Thursday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Catholic Central Cougars at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Tuesday, Hamilton got the win against West Catholic by a conclusive 11-2.
Julia Brown and Kelsey Mersman made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Brown tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Mersman struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. At the plate, Brown scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3, while Mersman scored a run while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Taylor Oosterink, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Abby Vandenberg was another key contributor, scoring a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Catholic Central scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Christian with a sharp 20-4 victory. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded Catholic Central with their most commanding win of the season.
Like Hamilton, Catholic Central also got a great game from a two-way player: Aleksandra Bockheim. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up four earned runs off seven hits. Bockheim was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing six bases while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Madeiyn Schaendorf and Riley Lyons did most of the damage at the plate: Schaendorf scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances, while Lyons scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Katence Brown-Holzgen, who scored three runs while going 2-for-4.
Hamilton pushed their record up to 17-7 with that win, which was their fourth straight on the road. As for Catholic Central, they now have a winning record of 10-9.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Hamilton has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .446. However, it's not like Catholic Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .435. 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.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
