Novato hasn't had much luck against Marin Catholic recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Hornets will face off against the Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Novato took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They came out on top against Terra Linda by a score of 7-3.
Claire Hannan spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on one hit. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Allie Tubach, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. Georgiana Castro was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run.
Meanwhile, Marin Catholic got the win against Redwood last Wednesday by a conclusive 8-1. Considering the Wildcats have won seven contests by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Marin Catholic also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Malliah Foster gave up only one earned run on four hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Morgan Carlson was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Vivian Partain also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Marin Catholic has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.6 runs over those games. As for Novato, their victory was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-9 and their overall record up to 6-14.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Novato has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Marin Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Novato suffered a grim 18-1 defeat to Marin Catholic in their previous meeting back in March. Can the Hornets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
