Softball Preview: Northwest Vikings vs. Scottsbluff Bearcats
The Northwest Vikings will take on the Scottsbluff Bearcats at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday. Northwest is looking to tack on another W to their three-game streak on the road.
Northwest heads in on the heels of a playoff matchup on Wednesday. They took a 9-5 hit to the loss column at the hands of Pius X.
Graclyn Simmons spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and four unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up nine Ks.
At the plate, Libby Loman made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a double. Another player making a difference was Jolie O'Hara, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Even though they lost, Northwest didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with nine strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Pius X only tossed six.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Scottsbluff challenged Hastings on Wednesday. Scottsbluff fell just short of Hastings by a score of 6-5. The loss continues a trend for the Bearcats in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now lost five in a row.
Scottsbluff saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Makayla Michaelson, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Northwest's record now sits at 29-3. As for Scottsbluff, their record is now 20-11.
Thursday's match will be a test for both team's pitchers. Northwest hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of 0. However, it's not like Scottsbluff struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Northwest's way against Scottsbluff in their previous matchup back in September, as Northwest made off with a 10-3 victory. Does Northwest have another victory up their sleeve, or will Scottsbluff turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
