Softball Preview: Northwest Guilford Vikings vs. Northern Guilford Nighthawks
Northwest Guilford is on a 20-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Northern Guilford is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Northwest Guilford Vikings will take on the Northern Guilford Nighthawks at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Wednesday, Northwest Guilford was able to grind out a solid victory over Southeast Guilford, taking the game 6-1.
Bel Varadi made a big impact no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits while striking out 15 over seven innings pitched. Varadi has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in seven consecutive pitching appearances. Varadi was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Northwest Guilford let Jenna Copeland and Haylea Huffines loose on the outfield. Copeland went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a double, while Huffines went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and two RBI.
Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, Northern Guilford gave their fans yet another huge win on Wednesday. Everything went their way against Southwest Guilford as Northern Guilford made off with a 13-2 victory. That's two games straight that Northern Guilford has won by exactly 11 runs.
Like Northwest Guilford, Northern Guilford also got a great game from a two-way player: Kyleigh Comer. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. Comer was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with four RBI.
In other batting news, Morgan Headen and Asyah Smith did most of the damage at the plate: Headen scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3, while Smith scored a run while going 2-for-3. Caroline Morris was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Northwest Guilford's win bumped their record up to 22-2. As for Northern Guilford, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven contests, which provided a nice bump to their 12-8 record this season.
Friday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Northwest Guilford has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .512. However, it's not like Northern Guilford struggles in that department as they've averaged .506. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Northwest Guilford took their victory against Northern Guilford in their previous meeting back in April by a conclusive 11-1. Does Northwest Guilford have another victory up their sleeve, or will Northern Guilford turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
