Northview is 1-9 against Edgewood since May of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Knights will square off against the Mustangs at 5:30 p.m.
Northview is headed into the matchup having just suffered their closest loss since April 10th on Wednesday. They fell just short of Terre Haute North Vigo by a score of 3-1.
Maggie Krause spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on eight hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 18 consecutive appearances.
Meanwhile, Edgewood had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Speedway an 8-0 shutout on Monday. Considering the Mustangs have won 19 contests by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
ALLY BLAND made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. BLAND was also big at the plate, firing off two home runs, three runs, and four RBI while going 2-for-3. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, MADI BLAND was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base.
Edgewood lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Speedway didn't launched any.
Edgewood has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 11 of their last 12 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 25-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Northview, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Northview has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Edgewood struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 10.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Northview couldn't quite get it done against Edgewood in their previous matchup on May 6th as they fell 5-0. Can the Knights avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.