Softball Preview: Seaforth Hawks vs. Northwood Chargers
The Seaforth Hawks will head out on the road to square off against the Northwood Chargers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Seaforth is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7.9 runs per game this season.
On Wednesday, Seaforth narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Green Level 9-8.
Emma Grace Hill made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off one hit. Hill has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in seven consecutive pitching appearances. Hill was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Annika Johannson, who went 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and a triple. Jennifer Johnson was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Northwood came into Wednesday's contest having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They came out on top against Chapel Hill by a score of 8-5 on Wednesday. The win was just what Northwood needed coming off of a 15-7 loss in their prior game.
Jasmine Wichowski spent all seven innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and two unearned) runs on 12 hits and racked up eight Ks.
At the plate, Northwood let Sarah Warfford and Kara Thomas loose on the outfield. Warfford scored two runs and stole five bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances, while Thomas scored two runs and stole five bases while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Courtney Talbert, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Seaforth is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 4-9 record this season. As for Northwood, their record is now 5-8.
Northwood's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Seaforth has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.9 hits per game. It's a different story for Northwood, though, as they've been averaging 10.2. Given Seaforth's sizable advantage in that area, Northwood will need to find a way to close that gap.
Seaforth came up short against Northwood when the teams last played back in March, falling 8-4. Can Seaforth avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
