North Central had lost eight straight on the road, but on Thursday they dropped down to 1-14 to make it nine. They came up short against the Bloomfield Cardinals, falling 29-1. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Thunderbirds of the 13-1 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in May of 2025.
As for Bloomfield, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-9 record this season. Their hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
For Bloomfield's part, Bella McIntosh and Lila Koontz made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, McIntosh pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Koontz struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. At the plate, McIntosh got on base in three of her five plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one double, while Koontz got on base in all five of her plate appearances with five runs and one RBI. Those five runs gave Koontz a new career-high.
In other batting news, Bloomfield got a massive performance out of Addison Lafree, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with one home run, four runs, and four RBI. That's the most RBI Lafree has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Lailey Smith, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. North Central will host Cloverdale at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. As for Bloomfield, they will look to defend their home field on Monday against Clay City at 6:00 p.m.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
