Softball Game Preview: West Nassau Warriors vs. Canterbury Crusaders

The West Nassau Warriors will host the Canterbury Crusaders at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. West Nassau's pitching crew has only allowed 3.1 runs per game this season, so Canterbury's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

If West Nassau beats Canterbury with eight runs on Thursday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two matches with that exact score. The Warriors were the clear victors by an 8-2 margin over Bolles on Tuesday. The Warriors not only won on Tuesday, but they posted their biggest win since February 27th.

Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Canterbury's offense. They took a 5-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of Waverly Central on Friday.

Kaylah Berta spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Canterbury saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cali Baust, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base. Baust is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: she's snagged at least one every time she's taken the field this season.

West Nassau has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-6 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Canterbury, their loss was their third straight at home, which dropped their record down to 4-8.

West Nassau skirted past Canterbury 5-3 in their previous matchup back in April of 2017. Will the Warriors repeat their success, or do the Crusaders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.