The Brookside Cardinals will face off against the Columbia Raiders at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
If Brookside beats Columbia with 17 runs on Thursday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. The Cardinals blew past Lutheran West 17-1 on Wednesday. The victory continues a trend for the Cardinals in their matchups with the Longhorns: they've now won seven in a row.
Markie-Ann Aliff was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Aliff was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Brookside got a massive performance out of Leann Clark, who went 3-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Allie Miller was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Brookside was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. They are 5-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Columbia came out on top against Wellington on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run third inning. The Raiders were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over the Dukes. The result was nothing new for the Raiders, who have now won nine contests by ten runs or more so far this season.
Like Brookside, Columbia also got a great game from a two-way player: Sadie Schulke. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts Schulke has posted over her last nine games. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Bree Heidecker was incredible, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs, one double, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Jessica Jacobs, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Columbia pushed their record up to 12-5 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Brookside, their win bumped their record up to 5-14.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Brookside has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Columbia struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Brookside couldn't quite get it done against Columbia in their previous meeting back in April as they fell 8-5. Will the Cardinals have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
