Softball Preview: Northern Guilford Nighthawks vs. Southwest Guilford Cowboys
Northern Guilford has enjoyed the comforts of home their last four games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will face off against the Southwest Guilford Cowboys at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Friday, while Northern Guilford put up plenty of runs, the same can't be said for Ragsdale. Northern Guilford put the hurt on Ragsdale with a sharp 14-0 win. The victory was just what Northern Guilford needed coming off of an 11-0 defeat in their prior matchup.
Kyleigh Comer spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just zero earned runs on two hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in eight consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Asyah Smith was a standout: she went 2-for-2 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Taylor Claassen, who went 1-for-2 with three runs, a triple, and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Southwest Guilford waltzed into their game on Wednesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They beat the Hornets by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 15-0.
Caroline Christman was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (she also didn't allow any walks). Christman was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with three RBI, a triple, and a run.
In other batting news, Southwest Guilford got a massive performance out of Amelia Stewart, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with three runs, a triple, and an RBI. Rachel Wagner was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 1-for-2.
Northern Guilford is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 6-5 record this season. As for Southwest Guilford, their record is now 12-3.
Friday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Northern Guilford hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. However, it's not like Southwest Guilford struggles in that department as they've averaged .406. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Northern Guilford came up short against Southwest Guilford when the teams last played back in March, falling 12-8. Can Northern Guilford avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
