Softball Game Preview: Northridge Jaguars vs. Tuscaloosa Academy Knights

The Northridge Jaguars are taking a road trip to take on the Tuscaloosa Academy Knights at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.

18 must be Northridge's lucky number: they beat Paul W. Bryant with that score not once but twice on Wednesday. The Jaguars were the clear victors by an 18-3 margin over the Stampede. Winning may never get old, but the Jaguars sure are getting used to it with their fourth in a row.

Northridge got a massive performance out of Mills Hitchner, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. That's the most hits Hitchner has posted since back in March. Anna Grace Reed also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.

Northridge was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .560. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .500 or higher in three consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, Tuscaloosa Academy had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Wednesday. Everything went their way against the Falcons as they made off with a 10-3 victory. Considering the Knights have won ten contests by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.

Lillian Johnson was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single hit and allowed only one earned run over four innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.

In other batting news, Lily Lucas was a standout: she scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2. Lilly Crane was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.

Northridge pushed their record up to 9-16 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 19.3 runs over those games. As for Tuscaloosa Academy, their record is now 12-4.