Softball Preview: Notre Dame Spirits vs. Hollister Haybalers
Notre Dame has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will challenge the Hollister Haybalers at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, Notre Dame sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-4 win over North Salinas.
Kiersten Jara made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (she also didn't allow any walks). Jara has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. Jara was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Maya Martinez, who fired off two home runs, three runs, and a double while going 3-for-3. Shailene Riemedio was another key contributor, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI.
Meanwhile, Hollister can now show off seven landslide victories after their most recent match on Friday. They beat North Monterey County by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 11-1. Winning may never get old, but Hollister sure is getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
Mia Phillips was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and three RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Madeline Bermudez, who scored two runs and stole four bases while going 1-for-3.
Notre Dame's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-4. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.0 runs per game. As for Hollister, their record now sits at 13-2.
Hollister's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Notre Dame has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.4 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Hollister, though, as they've been averaging only 4.2. Will Notre Dame keep running through batters, or will Hollister buck the trend?
Notre Dame suffered a grim 14-1 defeat to Hollister in their previous meeting back in March. Can Notre Dame avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
