Northgate is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Tuesday. They will be playing in front of their home fans against the Alhambra Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Northgate has struggled recently with three defeats in a row, while Alhambra will arrive with three straight victories.
Last Friday, Northgate came up short against San Clemente and fell 7-3.
Stella Hanko made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs while going 2-for-4. Addison Baxter was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Alhambra got themselves on the board against Pinole Valley last Thursday, but Pinole Valley never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Spartans with a sharp 7-0 win.
Not much got past Willa Adler, who gave up just two hits and racked up nine Ks to keep Pinole Valley off the board. Adler has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Genevieve Hernandez was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two doubles. Those two runs gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Nichaela West, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Alhambra pushed their record up to 8-5 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Northgate, they now have a losing record of 4-5.
Tuesday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Northgate hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. However, it's not like Alhambra struggles in that department as they've averaged .394. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Northgate came up short against Alhambra in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, falling 5-2. Can the Broncos avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
