Softball Preview: Homestead Spartans vs. Huntington North Vikings
Homestead and Huntington North are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2017, but likely not for long. The Homestead Spartans are on the road again on Monday to play the Huntington North Vikings at 5:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Homestead put the finishing touches on their third blowout victory of the season in their second game on Saturday. Everything went their way against Northridge as Homestead made off with a 13-7 win. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for Homestead considering their two-run performance the match before.
Macy Arnold looked comfortable as she struck out six batters over two innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single walk in three consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Gabriela Silkworth was a standout: she scored three runs while going 3-for-4. Grace Jordan was another key contributor, going 2-for-3 with two runs, a triple, and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Huntington North had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 2 runs), and they went ahead and made it three on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 14-3 margin over the Bruins.
Ava Poulson made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. Poulson was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Corinne Martz, who went 4-for-4 with four runs, two triples, and an RBI. Another player making a difference was Ava Geiger, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and two RBI.
The victory got Homestead back to even at 3-3. As for Huntington North, they pushed their record up to 3-0 with that win, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Homestead has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .480. However, it's not like Huntington North struggles in that department as they've averaged .543. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
