The West Springfield Spartans will face off against the Lake Braddock Bruins at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (West Springfield 3.7, Lake Braddock 3.1) so any runs scored will be well earned.
West Springfield proved they can win big on Tuesday (they won by 12) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-5 win over Yorktown. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Spartans have posted since March 25th.
Elaina Primozic made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. Primozic was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI. That's the most doubles she has posted since April 1st.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Layla Muten, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. Alexa Harvey was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Lake Braddock made easy work of Robinson on Tuesday and carried off a 7-1 win. The result was nothing new for the Bruins, who have now won seven matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Like West Springfield, Lake Braddock also got a great game from a two-way player: Mac Verdejo. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and only one walk). Verdejo has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, Sarah Allen was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one double. That triple was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Hailey Hackbarth, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
West Springfield has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won ten of their last 11 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Lake Braddock, their win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-3.
West Springfield skirted past Lake Braddock 9-7 in their previous matchup back in March. Do the Spartans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bruins turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
