The Willow Spring Storm will head out on the road to face off against the Holly Springs Golden Hawks at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Willow Spring is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 6.7 runs per game this season.
Last Friday, it was a hard-fought match, but Willow Spring had to settle for a 4-3 loss against Cleveland.
Ethan Dumar was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over 4.2 innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Willow Spring saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Luke Avant, who went 2-for-3 with a stolen base and an RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Luke Howell, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Holly Springs entered their tilt with Panther Creek with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They never let the Catamounts onto the board and left with an 18-0 victory on Thursday. That looming 18-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Holly Springs yet this season.
Noah Rhoades looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, Cole Bowie was incredible, going 4-for-4 with a home run, seven RBI, and three runs. Drake Della ratta was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
Willow Spring's defeat dropped their record down to 10-8. As for Holly Springs, their win bumped their record up to 11-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Willow Spring has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Holly Springs struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.8. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Willow Spring skirted past Holly Springs 4-3 in their previous meeting back in February. The rematch might be a little tougher for Willow Spring since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
