The Speedway Sparkplugs will take on the North Putnam Cougars at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Thursday, Speedway needed a bit of extra time to put away Tri-West Hendricks. They came out on top against the Bruins by a score of 7-3.
Hayli Clampitt made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over ten innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. Clampitt was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-5.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mallory Short, who went 2-for-5 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Laney Jarrett, who scored two runs while going 2-for-5.
Meanwhile, North Putnam beat Monrovia 6-1 on Friday. That's two games straight that the Cougars have won by exactly five runs.
Like Speedway, North Putnam also got a great game from a two-way player: Tori Deteo. She struck out 11 batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Deteo was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, Bailey Pride was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
North Putnam has started the season off flawlessly and has a 2-0 record to show for it. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 4 runs this season. As for Speedway, the win got them back to even at 1-1.
Speedway beat North Putnam 9-5 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Do the Sparkplugs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cougars turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
