The Maypearl Panthers will face off against the Rice Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Maypearl has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the match with three straight losses, while Rice will come in with four straight victories.
Tuesday just wasn't the day for Maypearl's offense. They fell just short of Rice by a score of 2-0 on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Panthers have suffered since February 22nd.
For Rice's part, the result came thanks to Cadence Van Cleave's shutout, as she gave up just four hits and racked up eight Ks. Van Cleave has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Halie Adams, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Sammie Lewis, who scored a run while going 2-for-2.
Rice's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-1-1. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Maypearl, their loss dropped their record down to 8-7-2.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Maypearl has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .457. However, it's not like Rice struggles in that department as they've averaged .544. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
