The Dalton Bulldogs will be playing at home against the Waynedale Golden Bears at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. The timing is sure in Dalton's favor as the squad sits on five straight wins at home while Waynedale has been banged up by five consecutive losses on the road.
If Dalton beats Waynedale with five runs on Monday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. Dalton sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 victory over Marlington on Friday.
Ava Fivecoat spent all ten innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on 11 hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than six innings in six consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Mykayla Neiger, who went 3-for-5 with a triple, two RBI, and a run. Another player making a difference was Hannah Wenger, who scored a run while going 3-for-5.
Meanwhile, after low-scoring totals in their previous three contests, Waynedale brought some dynamite into their most recent game. Everything went their way against Smithville on Friday as Waynedale made off with a 16-2 win. With that victory, Waynedale brought their scoring average up to 6.6 runs per game.
Kaitlyn Miller was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Miller was also big at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBI.
In other batting news, Carleigh Lynch and Kendall Rising did most of the damage at the plate: Lynch scored three runs while going 3-for-4, while Rising scored two runs while going 3-for-4. Ashtyn Miller was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Dalton has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 15-6 record this season. As for Waynedale, their win bumped their record up to 6-12.
Waynedale's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Dalton has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.7 hits per game. It's a different story for Waynedale, though, as they've been averaging 11.2. Given Dalton's sizable advantage in that area, Waynedale will need to find a way to close that gap.
Dalton was able to grind out a solid victory over Waynedale when the teams last played back in April of 2023, winning 5-1. Does Dalton have another victory up their sleeve, or will Waynedale turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
