Softball Recap: Wheeler Wins Going Away Against Merrillville

While Wheeler put up plenty of runs on Thursday, the same can't be said for Merrillville. The Bearcats blew past the Pirates 11-0. That looming 11-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Bearcats yet this season.

Cadence Piunti made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out nine over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.

Rileyann Welch

Runs Batted In (Career)

04/24/25 vs Merrillville	4
04/03/25 vs Washington Township	2
05/11/24 @ Bremen	2
04/23/24 @ River Forest	2
04/15/25 vs Griffith	1

In other batting news, Rileyann Welch was a standout: she went 1-for-2 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Faith Kromray was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one home run.

Wheeler kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.

Wheeler has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.8 runs over those games. As for Merrillville, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 1-12.

Looking ahead, Wheeler will challenge Whiting at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The Bearcats' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Oilers have averaged an impressive 16.5 runs per game this season. As for Merrillville, they will head out to square off against Lowell at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.