Softball Recap: NEN's Run of Eight Straight Wins Now Over

NEN dropped down to 20-10 on Friday, ending the team's eight-game streak of wins. They fell just short of the Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays by a score of 2-1. NEN was not able to repeat the success they had when they faced Guardian Angels Central Catholic earlier this season, when they won 5-2.

Allie Rutar was cooking despite her team's loss, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and one double.

As for Guardian Angels Central Catholic, they pushed their record up to 19-13 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games.

On Guardian Angels Central Catholic's side, Abi Toline spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up 13 Ks. Toline has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 22 consecutive appearances.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Abby Kreikemeier, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted over her last 12 games. Another player making a difference was Ava Minnick, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base and one run.

The teams didn't have to wait long for a rematch: NEN beat Guardian Angels Central Catholic by a score of 8-3 later that day.