The Northwest Grizzlies will take on the Eisenhower Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. One thing working in Northwest's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last six matches.
Northwest's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They put the hurt on West with a sharp 15-0 win. The Grizzlies might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 games by eight runs or more this season.
Lilly Hoffman was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two hits in seven consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Tharon Thomas was a standout: she got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April. Kam Stubbs was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles.
Northwest was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .562. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .333 or higher in six consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, Eisenhower's good fortune finally ran out back in April. They came up short against Salina Central, falling 8-1. The contest marked the Tigers' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Eisenhower saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kylie Hahn, who went 3-for-4 with one double. Aubrey Brunswig also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Northwest pushed their record up to 13-9 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.9 runs over those games. As for Eisenhower, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-2.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Northwest hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .364. However, it's not like Eisenhower struggles in that department as they've averaged .317. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Northwest suffered a grim 19-8 defeat to Eisenhower in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Will the Grizzlies have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
