The Cloverleaf Colts will venture away from home to square off against the Northwest Indians at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Cloverleaf is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.1 runs per game this season.
Cloverleaf fell victim to Field and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They lost 15-0 to the Falcons. The game marked the first time this year in which the Colts were not able to get on the board.
Meanwhile, Northwest waltzed into their matchup on Thursday with two straight wins... but they left with three. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Rams a 24-0 shutout. That 24-run margin sets a new team best for the Indians this season.
Courtney Boggs and Ally Sharrer made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Boggs pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Sharrer struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Boggs has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. At bat, Boggs went 4-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base, while Sharrer went 3-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Those three RBI gave Boggs a new career-high.
In other batting news, Northwest got a massive performance out of Eilley Weber, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with four runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Those four runs gave Weber a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Calle Singer, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBI, and one double.
Northwest kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 12 hits in three consecutive contests.
Northwest's record now sits at 4-5. As for Cloverleaf, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-3 record this season.
Northwest's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Cloverleaf has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.8 hits per game. It's a different story for Northwest, though, as they've been averaging 8.9 hits. Given Cloverleaf's sizable advantage in that area, the Indians will need to find a way to close that gap. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.