Softball Game Preview: St. Scholastica Doves vs. Northlake Christian Wolverines

The St. Scholastica Doves will challenge the Northlake Christian Wolverines at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. St. Scholastica has given up an average of 8.2 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.

St. Scholastica lost 12-2 to Loranger on Wednesday. The Doves have struggled against the Wolves recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meetings.

St. Scholastica saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ava Gassen, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI. That's the most hits Gassen has posted since back in April of 2024. Sydnee Shoultz also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.

Meanwhile, Northlake Christian came into Wednesday's matchup having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They walked away with an 8-4 victory over Springfield on Wednesday.

Abigail Willie spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up 11 Ks.

St. Scholastica now has a losing record of 4-5. As for Northlake Christian, their win bumped their record up to 2-5.

Northlake Christian's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: St. Scholastica has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .451. It's a different story for Northlake Christian, though, as they've only averaged .365. Will they be able to contain St. Scholastica's hitters?

St. Scholastica came out on top in a nail-biter against Northlake Christian when the teams last played back in March of 2023, sneaking past 4-3. Will St. Scholastica repeat their success, or does Northlake Christian have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.