The Southeast Pirates will take on the Northwestern Huskies at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Southeast is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.9 runs per game this season.
Southeast fell victim to St. Vincent-St. Mary and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They came up short against the Fighting Irish, falling 6-0. The match marked the first time this season in which the Pirates were not able to get on the board.
Lilly Hayes spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and five unearned) runs on six hits.
At the plate, Southeast saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Miranda Timko, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Northwestern got the win against Rootstown on Wednesday by a conclusive 11-4. The result was nothing new for the Huskies, who have now won nine contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Northwestern also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Taylor Wurst gave up just two earned (and two unearned) runs on five hits.
On the hitting side, Coralyn Hall was excellent, going 1-for-4 with three runs, one double, and one RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. Gabby Cuber was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
Northwestern is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-10 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.5 runs over those games. As for Southeast, their loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 16-8.
Monday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Southeast hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .353. However, it's not like Northwestern struggles in that department as they've averaged .360. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
