The Northwest Indians will face off against the Cloverleaf Colts at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Northwest barely beat Coventry the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Indians were the clear victors by a 9-3 margin over the Comets on Thursday. The Indians haven't had any issues with the Comets recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Courtney Boggs spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up a single walk in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Lily Lyons and Ally Sharrer did most of the damage at the plate: Lyons went 3-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs, while Sharrer went a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double. That's the most runs Sharrer has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Calle Singer, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
Northwest was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .412. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Coventry only posted a batting average of .233.
Meanwhile, Cloverleaf made easy work of Woodridge on Monday and carried off a 15-2 win. Considering the Colts have won ten matchups by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Alyson Croft was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Croft was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with four RBI, one triple, and one run. That triple was her first of the season.
In other pitching news, Kennedy Bailey looked comfortable as she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits.
Back at the plate, Caroline Sitko was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season. Another player making a difference was Brooklyn Newton, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Cloverleaf's victory bumped their record up to 11-9. As for Northwest, they now have a winning record of 10-9.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Northwest hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .313. However, it's not like Cloverleaf struggles in that department as they've averaged .362. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
