Softball Game Preview: Northwestern Wildcats vs. West Carteret Patriots

Northwestern is 0-5 against West Carteret since March of 2018 but things could change on Saturday. Northwestern will face off against West Carteret at 12:00 p.m.

Thursday just wasn't the day for Northwestern's offense. They fell just short of New Bern by a score of 2-0 on Thursday.

Meanwhile, West Carteret put another one in the bag on Wednesday to keep their perfect season alive. They put the hurt on East Carteret with a sharp 8-2 win. While the Patriots didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-16), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Kaelyn Margoupis spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ella Grace Rodriguez, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Addison Pavy, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.

West Carteret always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as East Carteret only posted an OBP of .214.

West Carteret's victory was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-0. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.5 runs over those games. As for Northwestern, their loss dropped their record down to 1-1.

Northwestern came up short against West Carteret in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, falling 6-3. Can Northwestern avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.