The Northside Mustangs will face off against the Senn Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
While Northside's win against Hancock wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Mustangs sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 12-10 victory over the Eagles on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Mustangs have posted since May 6, 2024.
Payton Phoxay was a standout: she scored two runs while going 2-for-3. That's the most hits she has posted since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Jilliyn Yung, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Senn strolled into their game on Wednesday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They put the hurt on Lake View with a sharp 12-1 victory. Considering the Bulldogs have won three matchups by more than nine runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Audrey Lebovitz made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than 11 strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while going 2-for-2.
In other batting news, Melissa Solis was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing five bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. She has been hot recently, having posted two or more stolen bases the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Gabrielle Smith, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Senn always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .680. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive contests.
Senn's win was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-0. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average this season. As for Northside, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Northside hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 1 home runs per game. However, it's not like Senn struggles in that department as they've been averaging 1 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
