The Northridge Raiders will take on the Elkhart Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Northridge is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.
Northridge fell victim to Carroll and their airtight pitching crew on Saturday. They came up short against the Chargers, falling 7-0. The Raiders haven't had much luck with the Chargers recently, as the team has come up short the last four times they've met.
Meanwhile, it can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Elkhart had no problem doing just that on Monday. They blew past the Minutemen 13-5. The Lions might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine matchups by seven runs or more this season.
Laci Stimac made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. Stimac was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one RBI.
In other batting news, Addison Reid was a standout: she got on base in three of her five plate appearances with three runs. Another player making a difference was Ambria Leedy, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Elkhart hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They are 5-1 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Elkhart is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-12 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.4 runs over those games. As for Northridge, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-10.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Northridge hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .340. However, it's not like Elkhart struggles in that department as they've averaged .339. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Northridge suffered a grim 12-2 defeat to Elkhart in their previous matchup on May 10th. Can the Raiders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
