LADDER leaders Turvey Park will meet third-placed Kooringal in the penultimate round of Wagga A grade softball at French Fields on Saturday.
Turvey Park had an easy 11-run victory against Blu Js last Saturday to put them on the top of the ladder and they will be looking to consolidate that position with a win over Kooringal.
Amanda Lenon made her return to the top grade last week, settling straight back into the catchers position.
Amanda Gooden was again in great touch with the bat, hitting two home runs against Blu Js and with Jane Wadley returning on Saturday to help strengthen the Turvey Park outfield, the Kooringal batters will need to come out swinging early if they are to get the runs on the board.
Kooringal were easily beaten last week by a South Wagga Warriors outfit that took advantage of fielding errors.
Laura Harley is unavailable on Saturday so Kooringal's pitching position will most likely be given to Tessa McGlynn.
Kadison Hofert, who played well at catcher in the absence of Erin Archer, along with Desi Calder and Gemma McGlynn, these four are expected to be Kooringal's main batters.
Meantime, second-placed South Wagga will take on fifth-placed Lake Albert in the other game on Saturday.
It looms as a game of opposites with South Wagga last week defeating Kooringal by 19 runs, who had the week before defeated Lake Albert by almost the same margin.
South Wagga were in great form with the bat last week with every one of their players having at least one safe hit.
With almost flawless fielding as well, Lake Albert will need to start strongly if they are to have any impact in the game.
Casey Newell, Jess Swaysland and Shae McMahon have been the mainstay of the Lake Albert batters and with Jess Grant at pitcher they will need to be making sure they shut the Warriors down early.
Montana and Jane Kearnes are both pitching well for Warriors and with Tamika Raufers finding form at the right end of the season with the bat, they will be looking to cement second spot on the ladder before their final round bye.
Latest Wagga softball draw:
(A grade)
D1 Lake Albert v South Wagga Warriors; D3 Kooringal v Turvey Park; bye: Blu Js
(B grade)
D1 Saints v South Wagga; D3 Lake Albert v Turvey Park; bye: Kooringal
(C grade)
D1 Saints D v Saints; D2 Blu Js v SWW Gold; D3 Turvey Park D v Lake Albert; D4 Turvey Park v SWW Green.
Canteen duty is Saints, set-up and pack up is Lake Albert and umpires are Kooringal, Turvey Park and South Wagga.
