If Paradise was feeling good off their 22-0 takedown of Pierce back in March, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Paradise Bobcats fell just short of the Willows Honkers by a score of 5-3 on Tuesday. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Paradise of the 4-1 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in May of 2023.
Nyah Baker was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. Baker has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in three consecutive pitching appearances. Baker was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Baker wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Dusti Smith, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Like Paradise, Willows also got a great game from a two-way player: Kimberly Garrison. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and only one walk). Garrison was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, a stolen base, and a double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Constance Huttman, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3. Bethany Millen was another key contributor, scoring a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Paradise now has a losing record at 5-6. As for Willows, they have been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine games, which provided a nice bump to their 9-6-1 record this season.
While Paradise had to take the loss, they won't have to wait long to give it another shot: the pair's next game is a rematch scheduled at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
