Softball Recap: Jessica Gaitan leads Jurupa Hills to victory over Northwood

By Team Reports May 9, 2024, 8:17am

Softball Recap: Jurupa Hills Spartans vs. Northwood Timberwolves

With a playoff game on the line, Jurupa Hills rose to the challenge on Thursday. They had just enough and edged the Northwood Timberwolves out 9-7. The win was nothing new for Jurupa Hills as they're now sitting on three straight.

Jessica Gaitan was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out six batters over 6.2 innings while giving up three earned runs off three hits. Gaitan has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in six consecutive pitching appearances. Gaitan was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, and a double.

Gaitan wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Savanah Casillas, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a double. Haylee Torres was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.

On Northwood's side, Natalie Keith stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: she scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Marissa Lee, who scored two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.

Jurupa Hills has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 15 of their last 16 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 19-6 record this season. As for Northwood, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-5.

Jurupa Hills will be playing in front of their home fans against Oak Hills at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Oak Hills knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy run totals in its past four matchups -- so hopefully Jurupa Hills likes a good challenge. Northwood does not have any more games scheduled as of now.

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