Northwestern hasn't had much luck against Jonathan Alder recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Warriors will head out to take on the Pioneers at 5:15 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Northwestern will bounce into Friday's matchup after beating Graham Local, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. The Warriors blew past the Falcons 21-10 on Thursday.
Northwestern got a massive performance out of Azzy Hammer, who went 4-for-6 with four runs, three RBI, and two doubles. Those doubles marked the first that Hammer has hit this season. Julia Shaw was another key player, going 3-for-6 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
Northwestern was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .479. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, while Jonathan Alder put up plenty of runs on Wednesday, the same can't be said for Urbana. The Pioneers were the clear victors by a 12-0 margin over the Hillclimbers. The victory was familiar territory for the Pioneers, who have now won three games in a row.
Macy Pruitt looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Owyn Johnson, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kylie Petersheim, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
The win got Jonathan Alder back to even at 7-7. As for Northwestern, their victory was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 5-3.
Jonathan Alder's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Northwestern has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.4 hits per game. It's a different story for Jonathan Alder, though, as they've been averaging 8.9 hits. Given Northwestern's sizable advantage in that area, the Pioneers will need to find a way to close that gap.
Northwestern might still be hurting after the 10-2 defeat they got from Jonathan Alder in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Warriors avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
