The Belvidere North Blue Thunder will head out on the road to square off against the Freeport Pretzels at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Belvidere North is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.8 runs per game this season.
Freeport is hoping to do on Monday what Rockford Auburn couldn't on Friday: put an end to Belvidere North's winning streak, which now stands at three games. Belvidere North walked away with an 8-5 win over Rockford Auburn.
Ava Morris made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off eight hits. Morris has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in seven consecutive pitching appearances. Morris was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Alexis Murphy, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Hallie Inman was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Freeport ultimately got the result they hoped for on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Guilford 14-13. The win made it back-to-back victories for Freeport.
Freeport let Ja'Maya Graham and Morgan Cox loose on the outfield. Graham fired off two home runs, three runs, and four RBI while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances, while Cox went 4-for-5 with a home run, four runs, and four RBI. Another player making a difference was Grace Muench, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.
Belvidere North is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 15-10 record this season. As for Freeport, their record is now 16-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Belvidere North has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Freeport struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.3. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Belvidere North came out on top in a nail-biter against Freeport in their previous meeting back in April, sneaking past 6-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for Belvidere North since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
