Softball Preview: Albert Lea Tigers vs. Northfield Raiders
Albert Lea is 2-8 against Northfield since May of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Albert Lea Tigers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Northfield Raiders at 5:00 p.m. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Albert Lea took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. Everything went their way against John Marshall as Albert Lea made off with a 14-2 win. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for Albert Lea considering their one-run performance the matchup before.
Maggie Olson was incredible, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with a home run, three runs, and three RBI. Nevaeh Walcholz was another key contributor, going 2-for-2 with a triple, two RBI, and a run.
Meanwhile, Northfield had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 1 runs), and they went ahead and made it three on Monday. They came out on top against the Wingers by a score of 7-4.
Kristen Hafemeyer made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. Hafemeyer was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Lindsey Erickson was incredible, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Ellie Capatina, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and a stolen base.
Albert Lea's victory ended a five-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 2-7. As for Northfield, they now have a winning record of 6-5.
Albert Lea suffered a grim 12-1 defeat to Northfield in their previous matchup on April 11th. Will Albert Lea have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
