Softball Recap: Norton Comes Up Short

If Norton was feeling good fresh off their 15-5 takedown of Woodridge on Wednesday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Panthers fell just short of the Streetsboro Rockets by a score of 9-7 on Thursday. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Rockets this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 10-0 on April 7th.

Alyssa Messer put in work while hitting and pitching. She pitched 4.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off seven hits. Messer was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. That double was her first of the season.

In other batting news, Addison Calo made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season.

Norton has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-7-1 record this season. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.8 runs over those games. As for Streetsboro, they pushed their record up to 11-4 with the victory, which was their third straight at home.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Norton will take on Dalton at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. As for Streetsboro, they will face off against Woodridge at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. The Bulldogs will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each matchup than the last.