The Archbishop Murphy Wildcats will head out on the road to square off against the Shorecrest Scots at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Archbishop Murphy has four straight wins, Shorecrest has six straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Thursday, Archbishop Murphy needed a bit of extra time to put away Shorewood. They had just enough and edged out the Stormrays 8-7. While the Wildcats didn't have the best season last year (they finished 3-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Ari Dixon spent all ten innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and three unearned) runs on six hits and racked up six Ks.
At the plate, Archbishop Murphy let Carly Madhavan and Sarah Fletcher run wild. Madhavan went 2-for-4 with one home run and three runs, while Fletcher went 2-for-6 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Maddie Evans was another key player, scoring two runs while going 3-for-5.
Meanwhile, Shorecrest came up short against Shorewood on Wednesday and fell 10-5.
Natalie Fernandez was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Lyla Ann Taing, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Shorecrest's defeat dropped their record down to 3-6. As for Archbishop Murphy, their victory bumped their record up to 8-2.
Friday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Archbishop Murphy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .432. However, it's not like Shorecrest struggles in that department as they've averaged .471. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Archbishop Murphy's way against Shorecrest in their previous matchup last Wednesday, as Archbishop Murphy made off with a 13-3 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Wildcats since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
