The La Vernia Bears will face off against the Poth Pirates at 1:00 p.m. on Monday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Poth will be up against a hot La Vernia team: the squad just extended their winning streak to five. La Vernia's pitcher stepped up to hand Somerset a 13-0 shutout on Wednesday. Considering the Bears have won six matches by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Not much got past Lucy Schlachter, who gave up just four hits to keep Somerset off the board. Schlachter has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, La Vernia let Emily Duncan and Makenzie Soriano run wild. Duncan scored two runs while going 3-for-4, while Soriano went 2-for-5 with four RBI, two doubles, and one run. That's the most RBI Soriano has posted since back in March of 2024. Madison Duncan was another key player, scoring four runs while going 2-for-4.
La Vernia was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .436. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Somerset only posted a batting average of .167.
Meanwhile, Poth started off well but failed to capitalize on an early lead against Cuero. They fell just short of the Gobblers by a score of 12-11 on Tuesday. The loss continues a trend for the Pirates in their meetings with the Gobblers: they've now lost seven in a row.
Bella Serna and Karlee Kroll stepped up to the plate in a big way. Serna went 4-for-5 with five RBI, two runs, and two doubles, while Kroll went 3-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and two doubles. Those doubles were Kroll's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Ava Kroll, who scored three runs while going 4-for-5.
La Vernia's victory bumped their record up to 10-3. As for Poth, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-5.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. La Vernia has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .506. However, it's not like Poth struggles in that department as they've averaged .436. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
La Vernia came up short against Poth when the teams last played back in March of 2024, falling 10-7. Will La Vernia 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.
