Softball Preview: Hillcrest Trojans vs. Norte Vista Braves
Hillcrest and Norte Vista are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2021, but likely not for long. The Hillcrest Trojans will head out on the road to square off against the Norte Vista Braves at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Hillcrest is looking to tack on another W to their four-game streak on the road.
Hillcrest is hoping to deliver their fans another blowout on Tuesday, just like they did against Arlington (and have done all season long). Hillcrest put the hurt on Arlington with a sharp 16-8 win on Monday.
Mattison Beliveau and Ashley James were a major factor no matter where they played. Throwing, Beliveau struck out eight batters over 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and seven unearned) runs off five hits. Meanwhile, James pitched 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Beliveau has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 17 consecutive pitching appearances. At the plate, Beliveau scored a run while going 1-for-5, while James scored a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Melody Acevedo, who went 3-for-4 with a home run, four runs, and three RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Nicole Riddell, who went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Meanwhile, Norte Vista fell victim to Ramona and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They wound up on the wrong side of a rough 13-0 walloping at the hands of the Rams. Norte Vista has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Norte Vista saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Angelina Sanchez, who went 1-for-2 with a stolen base.
Hillcrest has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matches, which provided a nice bump to their 12-13 record this season. As for Norte Vista, their loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 9-13.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Hillcrest hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .385. However, it's not like Norte Vista struggles in that department as they've averaged .378. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hillcrest took their victory against Norte Vista in their previous meeting on April 2nd by a conclusive 10-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hillcrest since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
