Softball Preview: Marcellus Mustangs vs. Cicero-North Syracuse Northstars
The Marcellus Mustangs will head out on the road to face off against the Cicero-North Syracuse Northstars at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Marcellus is coming into the contest hot, having won their last six games.
Last Wednesday, Marcellus beat Jordan-Elbridge 5-1.
Annabella Mondello made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and only one hit while striking out eight over seven innings pitched. Mondello has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive pitching appearances. Mondello was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Millie Novitsky, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Cicero-North Syracuse got the win against Windsor Central on Friday by a conclusive 15-1. That looming 15-1 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Cicero-North Syracuse yet this season.
Mila Owens spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on two hits and racked up seven Ks. Those seven innings set a new season-high mark for her.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Sydney Rockwell, who went 3-for-5 with three runs, two doubles, and a triple. Marisa Leone was another key contributor, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with a home run.
Marcellus' win bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Cicero-North Syracuse, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a massive bump to their 4-4 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Marcellus has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Cicero-North Syracuse struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.4. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Marcellus came out on top in a nail-biter against Cicero-North Syracuse when the teams last played back in April of 2022, sneaking past 10-9. The rematch might be a little tougher for Marcellus since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
