The Vintage Crushers will venture away from home to square off against the Northgate Broncos at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Vintage is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
Vintage is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Berkeley, sneaking past 9-7. The victory continues a trend for the Crushers in their matchups with the Yellowjackets: they've now won three in a row.
The team relied heavily on Desiree Griffith, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and two runs. That home run was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Samantha Kennedy, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, Northgate hadn't done well against Benicia recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Broncos were the clear victors by a 7-1 margin over the Panthers. Considering the Broncos have won eight games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Ashley Herman was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Sophie Hanko was incredible, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. She continues to improve, besting her previous run total in each of the last three games she's played. Taelyn Jriyasetapong was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Vintage's record now sits at 15-11. As for Northgate, their record is now 12-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Vintage has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Northgate struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
