Softball Game Preview: Belvidere Buccaneers vs. Belvidere North Blue Thunder

The Belvidere Buccaneers will face off against the Belvidere North Blue Thunder at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Belvidere played against Jefferson on Tuesday and won via forfeit.

Belvidere North barely beat Rockford Auburn the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Blue Thunder's pitcher stepped up to hand the Knights a 16-0 shutout on Wednesday. The Blue Thunder might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 games by seven runs or more this season.

Ava Morris was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two runs.

In other batting news, Belvidere North got a massive performance out of Addie Culvey, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs. That's the most hits Culvey has posted since back in April. Cali Schmidt was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.

Belvidere North always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .579. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Rockford Auburn only posted an OBP of .158.

Belvidere North is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 12 matchups. That's provided a massive bump to their 17-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.8 runs over those games. As for Belvidere, their win bumped their record up to 15-13.

Belvidere might still be hurting after the 11-1 loss they got from Belvidere North in their previous meeting back in April. Will the Buccaneers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.