The Northgate Broncos will head out to take on the East Nicolaus Spartans at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Northgate is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Gridley as they made off with an 11-2 win. The victory was nothing new for the Broncos as they're now sitting on four straight.
Ashley Herman made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 13 over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Chloe Alfonso, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and two runs. That home run was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Stella Hanko, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, East Nicolaus had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7 runs) and they went ahead and made it seven on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Wildcats with a sharp 7-1 win.
Lela DeCecco and Lily Smith did most of the damage at the plate: DeCecco went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base, while Smith went a perfect 1-for-1 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most hits DeCecco has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Gabby Sotelo, who earned two RBI and one stolen base.
Northgate pushed their record up to 14-11 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for East Nicolaus, their record now sits at 22-6.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Northgate hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .317. However, it's not like East Nicolaus struggles in that department as they've averaged .337. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
