The Independence Eagles will face off against the Page Patriots at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Independence will be strutting in after a victory while Page will be coming in after a defeat.
While Independence's win against Centennial wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Eagles skirted past the Cougars 5-4. Winning may never get old, but the Eagles sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
The team relied heavily on Piper Johnson, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Taylor Schmidt was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Independence hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are 8-1 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Page entered their match against Ravenwood on Tuesday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. The Patriots fell just short of the Raptors by a score of 8-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Patriots have suffered against the Raptors since April 4, 2019.
Adriana Callahan made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, four stolen bases, and two runs. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games she's played. Another player making a difference was MacKenzie Smith, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and one double.
Independence's victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-14. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.2 runs over those games. As for Page, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-3.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Independence hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.7 home runs per game. However, it's not like Page struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.9 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Independence came up short against Page in their previous matchup on April 1st, falling 7-3. Will the Eagles have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
