The Fort Atkinson Blackhawks will challenge the Monona Grove Silver Eagles at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Neither Fort Atkinson nor Monona Grove posted many runs in their last games, so it might be the pitching crews that decide this one.
Last Tuesday, Fort Atkinson came up short against DeForest and fell 6-2. The matchup marked the Blackhawks' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Fort Atkinson saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kinley Wargolet, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base. Lauren Wessels also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Monona Grove suffered their closest defeat since May 8, 2024 on Tuesday. They fell just short of Watertown by a score of 4-2. The Silver Eagles have struggled against the Goslings recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.
Brooklyn Vanden Branden was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: she struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
Fort Atkinson's loss dropped their record down to 3-3. As for Monona Grove, their defeat was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 4-4.
Fort Atkinson's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's contest. The Blackhawks have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Monona Grove, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Fort Atkinson continue to outrun the ball?
Fort Atkinson came up short against Monona Grove when the teams last played back in May of 2024, falling 10-7. Will the Blackhawks have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
