It may have taken nine innings to finish the job, but North Newton ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Lafayette Jefferson Bronchos, sneaking past 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Spartans have posted since May 25, 2024.
Sydney Rainford
| 05/15/25 @ Lafayette Jefferson | 21 |
| 04/23/25 vs South Central | 20 |
| 04/06/24 vs Covington | 20 |
| 05/10/25 vs Maconaquah | 19 |
| 04/20/24 @ Knox | 18 |
Sydney Rainford made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out 21 batters over nine innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits (and only one walk). Those 21 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with one home run, two RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Caylee Oxley, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run and two runs. That home run was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Riley Higgins, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
North Newton has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 12 of their last 14 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-3-1 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 Lafayette Jefferson, the defeat snapped their winning streak at five games and leaves them with a 12-9 record.
Looking ahead, North Newton will welcome Hanover Central at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. As for Lafayette Jefferson, they will square off against Anderson at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
