Softball Game Preview: Northside Vikings vs. Salem Spartans

The Northside Vikings will challenge the Salem Spartans at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Northside has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the game with five straight losses, while Salem will come in with nine straight wins.

Northside fell victim to Franklin County and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They came up short against the Eagles, falling 11-0.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Salem). They were the clear victors by a 16-1 margin over Pulaski County on Friday. The result was nothing new for the Spartans, who have now won nine matches by seven runs or more so far this season.

Cora Robinson made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in nine consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April of 2024.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cora Sparger, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with six RBI, two runs, and one double. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Olivia Crosswhite, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs and one RBI.

Salem was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .562. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .381 or higher in four consecutive contests.

Salem pushed their record up to 11-3 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.2 runs over those games. As for Northside, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-12.

Northside suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Salem when the teams last played two weeks ago. Will the Vikings have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.