The York Dukes will face off against the Kearney Catholic Stars at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. York is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.7 runs per game this season.
York took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They had just enough and edged Crete out 8-6.
Lauryn Mattox made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up six earned runs off nine hits. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in September of 2023. She was also big at the plate, getting three hits from her three at bats.
In other batting news, Avery Albers was excellent, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a double. The last time her batting average was this high was back in August. Mira Garrett was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
York was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .448. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Crete only posted a batting average of .290.
Meanwhile, Kearney Catholic had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6 runs), and they went ahead and made it three on Tuesday. Everything went their way against the Swedes as they made off with a 13-1 win. The Stars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight games by seven runs or more this season.
Like York, Kearney Catholic also got a great game from a two-way player: Claire Damratowski. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Damratowski was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, Kearney Catholic got a massive performance out of Avery Cast, who went 2-for-2 with four RBI, two doubles, and a run. Another player making a difference was Pfeiffer Adkisson, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
York pushed their record up to 11-7 with that victory, which was their third straight at home. As for Kearney Catholic, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 11-7 record this season.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. York hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of 0. However, it's not like Kearney Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
York took their win against Kearney Catholic when the teams last played back in September of 2023 by a conclusive 8-0. Will York repeat their success, or does Kearney Catholic have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
