Softball Game Preview: Hammond Tornadoes vs. St. Thomas Aquinas Falcons

Hammond is 1-7 against St. Thomas Aquinas since February of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Tornadoes will host the Falcons at 4:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Friday.

Having struggled with nine losses in a row, Hammond turned things around against Independence on Wednesday. They put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 16-1 victory. The Tornadoes' offense finally found a way to get into gear: the high-octane performance was a 180-degree turn from their last three games.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for St. Thomas Aquinas, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They never let Independence get on the board and left with a 19-0 win on Thursday. That 19 run margin sets a new team best for the Falcons this season.

Miley Rogers was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing six bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 1.1 stolen bases per game.

In other batting news, St. Thomas Aquinas let Rylie Inzinna and Lylah Madere run wild. Inzinna went a perfect 2-for-2 with four stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs, while Madere scored three runs and stole four bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. Those four RBI gave Inzinna a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Leah Mayeur, who scored two runs and stole five bases while getting on base in both of her plate appearances.

St. Thomas Aquinas hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in five consecutive games.

St. Thomas Aquinas has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-13 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Hammond, the win was their first on the road , bumping their record up to 3-22.