The Northwest Mohawks will take on the Eastern Eagles at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Northwest will be looking to extend their current seven-game winning streak.
While Northwest's win against Valley wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Mohawks narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Indians 2-1.
Annika Carpenter spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on five hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Mollyann Runyon, who went 1-for-3 with one home run.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Eastern). They put the hurt on Glenwood with a sharp 28-2 win on Friday. The victory continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now won six in a row.
Leah Rader made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out 11 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits (and not a single walk). Rader was also big at the plate, going 3-for-6 with three runs and one RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, Madilen Day was a standout: she got on base in all six of her plate appearances with three runs, four RBI, and one stolen base. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in hits (three). Braelyn Bevins was another key player, getting on base in four of her six plate appearances with three runs, four RBI, and one stolen base.
Eastern always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .759. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Northwest pushed their record up to 17-3 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Eastern, their win bumped their record up to 11-6.
Monday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Northwest has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .526. However, it's not like Eastern struggles in that department as they've averaged .499. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Northwest's way against Eastern in their previous meeting back in April, as Northwest made off with a 14-0 victory. Do the Mohawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
