Softball Preview: North Haven Nighthawks vs. Branford Hornets
North Haven is 10-0 against Branford since April of 2016, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Monday. The North Haven Nighthawks will be playing at home against the Branford Hornets at 7:00 p.m. North Haven is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.
North Haven is hoping to deliver their fans another blowout on Monday, just like they did against Sheehan (and have done all season long). North Haven's pitcher stepped up to hand Sheehan an 11-0 shutout on Friday. North Haven's win was all the more impressive since Sheehan was averaging only 2.73 runs allowed on the season.
Gabriella Blanchard was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over seven innings pitched. Blanchard has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. Blanchard was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, Alyssa Ferriouolo was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Emelia Brandi, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, it was a hard-fought matchup, but Branford had to settle for a 4-3 defeat against Shelton on Thursday. The loss continues a trend for Branford in their matchups with Shelton: they've now lost five in a row.
Like North Haven, Branford also got a great game from a two-way player: Shelby Burnham. On the mound, she struck out 16 batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Burnham was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a triple, a run, and an RBI.
In other batting news, Madigan Lawler was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI.
Even though they lost, Branford was hitting in the alleys and finished the game with three doubles. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Shelton didn't hit any.
North Haven's victory was their 20th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 14-2. As for Branford, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. North Haven has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Branford struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.1. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
North Haven took their win against Branford in their previous matchup back in April by a conclusive 20-1. Will North Haven repeat their success, or does Branford have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
