The Crivitz Wolverines will take on the Valders Vikings at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Crivitz 2.7, Valders 3.4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
On Tuesday, Crivitz needed a bit of extra time to put away Kewaunee. They had just enough and edged out the Storm 6-5. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Wolverines.
Taryn Tracy made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She tossed eight innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 18 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kirsten Pusick, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Brecken Ott, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one run and one double.
Crivitz always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Kewaunee only posted an OBP of .312.
Meanwhile, Valders fell victim to Two Rivers and their airtight pitching crew on Monday. They fell just short of the Raiders by a score of 1-0. The Vikings' loss continues a trend for the squad, making it three in a row.
Megan Hochkammer spent all 10.2 innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on three hits and racked up 13 Ks.
Valders' defeat dropped their record down to 12-9. As for Crivitz, their win bumped their record up to 20-5.
Crivitz's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's matchup. The Wolverines have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Valders, though, as they've been averaging only 0.7 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Crivitz continue to outrun the ball? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.