The Norwell Knights will venture away from home to face off against the Fort Wayne Northrop Bruins at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Norwell is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.2 runs per game this season.
On Thursday, Norwell got the win against Bluffton by a conclusive 17-9. The Knights might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 games by six runs or more this season.
Kayla Watkins was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Watkins was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three RBI. Those two hits gave her a new career-high.
Abby Wagner
| 05/15/25 @ Bluffton | 4 |
| 04/10/25 @ Eastbrook | 3 |
| 04/16/24 @ Fort Wayne Bishop Luers | 3 |
| 05/05/25 @ New Haven | 2 |
| 04/30/25 vs Bellmont | 2 |
In other batting news, Norwell got a massive performance out of Abby Wagner, who went 4-for-5 with three runs and three RBI. Those four hits gave Wagner a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Leah Werling, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one double.
Norwell kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in five consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Fort Wayne Northrop beat Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran 10-5 on Thursday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Bruins.
Like Norwell, Fort Wayne Northrop also got a great game from a two-way player: Brilee Day. She struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off eight hits. Day has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with two stolen bases and two runs.
In other batting news, Baylee Huth was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Another player making a difference was Karlie Bruce, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Norwell is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for Fort Wayne Northrop, the win got them back to even at 9-9.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Friday. Norwell hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.7 home runs per game. However, it's not like Fort Wayne Northrop struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.5 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Norwell beat Fort Wayne Northrop 8-5 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
