Durham is 0-10 against East Nicolaus since April of 2019 but things could change on Friday. The Trojans are taking a road trip to square off against the Spartans at 4:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
On Thursday, Durham got the win against Hamilton by a conclusive 10-3. The result was nothing new for the Trojans, who have now won 13 games by six runs or more so far this season.
Sadie Sjolund made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in March.
Ashley Spence
| 05/08/25 vs Hamilton | 4 |
| 04/08/25 @ Willows | 1 |
| 03/25/25 @ Colusa | 1 |
| 03/20/25 vs Los Molinos | 1 |
| 03/18/25 vs Maxwell | 1 |
In other batting news, Ashley Spence was incredible, going 2-for-3 with four stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Those four stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Sophia Owen, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
East Nicolaus came out on top against Durham on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run seventh inning. The Spartans walked away with a 10-6 win over the Trojans.
Like Durham, East Nicolaus also got a great game from a two-way player: Stevie Knight. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out ten over 6.2 innings pitched. Knight was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Richie Farris, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season. Gabby Sotelo was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
East Nicolaus was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .419. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Durham only posted a batting average of .172.
Durham has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won ten of their last 11 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-6-1 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.6 runs on average over those games. As for East Nicolaus, they pushed their record up to 16-6 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Durham has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like East Nicolaus struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Durham came up short against East Nicolaus in their previous matchup on Tuesday, falling 10-6. Can the Trojans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
