Softball Preview: Northern Nash Knights vs. Southern Nash Firebirds
Northern Nash is 0-10 against Southern Nash since May of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Northern Nash Knights will head out on the road to take on the Southern Nash Firebirds at 6:00 p.m. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Northern Nash will bounce into Tuesday's game after beating Franklinton, who they hadn't topped in nine consecutive meetings. Northern Nash was the clear victor by an 8-2 margin over Franklinton on Thursday.
Emily Clay made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over seven innings pitched. Clay was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with a triple, a run, and an RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Emma Shingleton, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Macie Sides, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Southern Nash put another one in the bag on Monday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past Ayden - Grifton 11-1. Southern Nash might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won 13 matches by ten runs or more this season.
Like Northern Nash, Southern Nash also got a great game from a two-way player: ANNA DICKINSON. She struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. DICKINSON has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in six consecutive pitching appearances. DICKINSON was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and a double.
In other batting news, ALIYAH CROLL was incredible, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, a stolen base, and a run. SARAH EWERS was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 2-for-5.
Northern Nash's record now sits at 4-10. As for Southern Nash, they pushed their record up to 16-0 with that win, which was their tenth straight on the road.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Northern Nash hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .325. However, it's not like Southern Nash struggles in that department as they've averaged .440. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Northern Nash suffered a grim 17-0 defeat to Southern Nash in their previous meeting back in March. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of DICKINSON, who didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Now that Northern Nash knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
