Northside hasn't had much luck against Taft recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Mustangs will be playing in front of their home fans against the Eagles at 4:00 p.m. Northside is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.7 runs per game this season.
While Northside's victory against Payton College Prep wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Mustangs sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-6 win over the Grizzlies last Wednesday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Mustangs as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Ella Breving made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run over seven innings pitched. Breving was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one double, and one RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Yailyn Medina was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. Dania Gomez was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Taft got themselves on the board against Evanston on Wednesday, but Evanston never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over the Wildkits. Considering the Eagles have won nine matchups by more than eight runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Michelle Esquivel tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out seven over five innings pitched.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Haley Eccarius, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Gabriela Gonzalez, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Taft was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Evanston only posted a batting average of .125.
Northside's win bumped their record up to 5-7. As for Taft, their victory bumped their record up to 15-3.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Northside hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.7 home runs per game. However, it's not like Taft struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.4 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 16-1 defeat to Taft when the teams last played back in April of 2025. Will the Mustangs have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
