Taft has gone a perfect 10-0 against Northside recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Eagles will head out on the road to take on the Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. Taft's pitching crew has only allowed 3.4 runs per game this season, so Northside's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Taft came out on top against Evanston on Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run second inning. The Eagles' pitcher stepped up to hand the Wildkits a 10-0 shutout. Considering the Eagles have won nine contests by more than eight runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Michelle Esquivel
| 04/29/26 vs Evanston | 7 |
| 04/20/26 vs Payton College Prep | 5 |
| 04/08/26 vs Amundsen | 5 |
| 04/04/26 vs Palatine | 5 |
| 03/18/26 @ Auburn | 5 |
Taft got a great performance from Michelle Esquivel as she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Those seven strikeouts gave Esquivel a new career-high.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Haley Eccarius, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Gabriela Gonzalez, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Taft was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Evanston only posted a batting average of .125.
Meanwhile, Northside posted their closest win since April 3, 2025 last Wednesday. They skirted past Payton College Prep 8-6. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Mustangs as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Ella Breving made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run over seven innings pitched. Breving was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Yailyn Medina was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Dania Gomez also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Taft's record is now 15-3. As for Northside, their record now sits at 5-7.
Northside's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Taft has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Northside, though, as they've been averaging only 4 strikeouts. Will Taft keep running through batters, or will the Mustangs buck the trend?
Taft got the 'W' when the teams last played back in April of 2025 against Northside by a conclusive 16-1 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
