Softball Game Preview: Northside Mustangs vs. Taft Eagles

Northside hasn't had much luck against Taft recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Mustangs will head out to square off against the Eagles at 4:30 p.m. Taft took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Northside, who comes in off a win.

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 narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past the Eagles 12-10. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Mustangs considering their one-run performance the match before.

Payton Phoxay was a standout: she scored two runs while going 2-for-3. That's the most runs she has posted since back in May of 2024. Jilliyn Yung was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.

Meanwhile, Taft unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Friday. They fell 8-5 to Barrington.

Taft saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Michaela Power, who scored two runs while going 4-for-4. Another was Gabriela Gonzalez, who got four hits from her four at bats.

Taft's loss dropped their record down to 4-4. 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 Monday. 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 Taft struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.6 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.

Northside suffered a grim 16-0 defeat to Taft in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Mustangs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.