The Union County Patriots will take on the Northeastern Knights at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Union County has given up an average of 7.4 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Union County is headed into Monday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight games on Thursday. They came up short against Centerville, falling 16-6.
Northeastern came out on top against Southern Wells on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run fourth inning. The Knights blew past the Raiders 12-1. Considering the Knights have won nine contests by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Zella Cook was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits (and not a single walk). Those seven strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Northeastern let Isabella Peed and Jayden Hildebrand run wild. Peed went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs, while Hildebrand went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base. Those three runs gave Hildebrand a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jocelyn Allen, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Northeastern kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Southern Wells only managed seven.
Northeastern is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 11 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-3 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. As for Union County, their loss dropped their record down to 9-14.
Union County might still be hurting after the 8-1 defeat they got from Northeastern in their previous matchup back in April. Can the Patriots avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
