TRINITY - Mitchell's lineup features six .300-plus hitters.
Springstead's ace has 13 shutouts among her 19 wins.
Something's got to give in tonight's Class 4A, Region 2 quarterfinal at Springstead.
"It sounds like she's pretty good," Mitchell coach Scott Bisbe said of Emily Eicholtz, whose 19-2 pitching record helped the Eagles to a school-record 20 victories.
Bisbe, however, has faith in an offense that averaged 5.3 runs and was held scoreless five times. That includes Friday's 10-0 loss to River Ridge in the District 8 championship. "We've got a good-hitting team," Bisbe said. "As long as they stay up and don't get down. They can hit the ball."
Third-year Mitchell (18-10) is making its first playoff appearance thanks, in large part, to a high-powered offense. The Mustangs scored 151 runs in 18 games and have a .274 batting average.
Trish Blankenship, the No. 3 hitter, has the highest average at .375. She leads the squad in doubles (9), home runs (1) and RBIs (18), and is tied with Carly Mitchell in triples (2). Blankenship blasted the Mustang's lone homer in a 10-0 district quarterfinal win over Gulf.
"She's supposed to hit like that," Bisbe said of the junior, who as a third-year starter is the Mustangs' most experienced player.
The other .300-plus batters are Cassie Markham (.352), Alicia Neelen (.347), Jamie Case (.314), Carly Mitchell (.306) and Ashley Boller (.302). Aside from Blankenship, that group has two other things in common. They are all sophomores who play on competitive teams in the summer.
"They did get a lot of playing time last year, and they play travel ball," Bisbe said.
Coming off a defeat by the 10-run rule in the biggest game in school history, Mitchell must regroup against an opponent that won its second straight district title.
"I hope they're hungry," Bisbe said. "I hope they go out and hit the ball.
"Like I told them the other night (after the River Ridge game), they need to handle a little adversity and come back and be able to chip away," he said.
The Mustangs do not have a comparable pitcher to Eicholtz, who has 138 strikeouts in 21 games. What they do have is a solid combination in starters Blankenship (6-6, 1.95 ERA) and Mitchell (9-3, 1.28). Each Mitchell pitcher won a district game, with both working in the loss to River Ridge. Blankenship (6-6) took that defeat, struggling with her control from the outset. That marked an uncharacteristic performance for a hurler with 64 strikeouts and 21 walks.
"If she's on, she's a great pitcher," Bisbe said of Blankenship. "But if she's not hitting her spots to get it over, that's when she's got to groove it."
Regardless of which pitcher draws the starting nod or how his team hits tonight, Bisbe "is happy with what my girls have done."
Bisbe hoped to avoid a winless season in the Mustangs' first year, and they won six games. Last year's goal was .500, and Mitchell finished 14-12. A playoff berth was on this season's wish list.
"We're going on. We're in the regionals," Bisbe said. "I think that they can get themselves ready to go."
