Spartans
| 04/14/25 @ Woodridge | 7 |
| 04/09/25 vs Ellet | 1 |
| 04/04/25 vs Rootstown | 7 |
| 04/03/25 @ Streetsboro | 12 |
| 03/27/25 vs Morgantown | 0 |
| + 4 more games |
Springfield and Norton are an even 3-3 against one another since May of 2022, but likely not for long. The Spartans will be playing at home against the Panthers at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Springfield is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.1 runs per game this season.
Springfield fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Woodridge on Monday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Bulldogs by a score of 8-7. The Spartans have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Joey Klein spent all 8.2 innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and three unearned) runs on 11 hits and racked up 11 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Bre Ruggiero was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-5 with two triples and three runs. Another player making a difference was Izzy Potter, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last contest, Norton made sure to put some runs up on the board against Coventry on Monday. The Panthers came out on top against the Comets by a score of 14-9. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Alyssa Messer made a big impact no matter where she played. She tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Messer was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs while getting on base in two of her five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Chloe Womble and Addison Calo did most of the damage at the plate: Womble went 2-for-3 with five RBI and one double, while Calo went 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs. Dakota Graham was another key player, scoring four runs while going 4-for-5.
Norton kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Springfield's defeat dropped their record down to 5-4. As for Norton, the victory got them back to even at 3-3.
Norton's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Springfield has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.8 hits per game. It's a different story for Norton, though, as they've been averaging 8.7 hits. Given Springfield's sizable advantage in that area, the Panthers will need to find a way to close that gap.
Springfield took their win against Norton in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 14-4 score. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
