The Northside Rams will venture away from home to square off against the Hamilton Aggies at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Northside is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Last Tuesday, Northside didn't have quite enough to beat Hillcrest and fell 5-3. The Rams haven't had much luck with the Patriots recently, as the team has come up short the last five times they've met.
Brayden Billings was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that she hit this season.
Even though they lost, Northside hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. This was only their first loss (out of six games) when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Hamilton hadn't done well against Haleyville recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. Everything went Hamilton's way against Haleyville as Hamilton made off with an 8-0 win. The victory continues a trend for the Aggies in their matchups with the Lions: they've now won three in a row.
Not much got past Addi Wilson, who gave up just seven hits and racked up nine Ks to keep Haleyville off the board. Wilson has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Brilyn Gilstrap was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Ella Rose Bartlett, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
Northside's defeat dropped their record down to 7-6-1. As for Hamilton, they now have a winning record of 12-11.
Northside's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's matchup. Northside has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Hamilton, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Northside continue to outrun the ball?
Everything went Northside's way against Hamilton when the teams last played back in February, as Northside made off with a 6-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Northside since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
