Hammond Bishop Noll is 1-7 against Highland since May of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Warriors will square off against the Trojans at 5:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Hammond Bishop Noll is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They never let Calumet New Tech get on the board and left with a 15-0 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Hammond Bishop Noll.
Molly Whelan was a major factor no matter where she played. She pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Whelan was also big at the plate, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Aiyanna (Yani) Espinosa, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one triple. What's more, she posted two RBI, the most she's had since back in April. Victoria (KiKi) Morfin also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Hammond Bishop Noll always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .968. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Highland entered their tilt with Griffith on Tuesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They blew past the Panthers 11-0. Highland's victory was all the more impressive since the Panthers were averaging only 3.41 runs allowed on the season.
Hailey Thomas was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Evie Rivera, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Hammond Bishop Noll's record now sits at 8-9. As for Highland, their record is now 18-11.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Hammond Bishop Noll hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .332. However, it's not like Highland struggles in that department as they've averaged .405. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hammond Bishop Noll suffered a grim 12-2 defeat to Highland when the teams last played on May 3rd. Can the Warriors avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
