The Lafayette Jefferson Bronchos will face off against the North Newton Spartans at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Lafayette Jefferson is coming into the contest hot, having won their last five games.
While Lafayette Jefferson's win against Clinton Prairie wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Bronchos sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-8 victory over the Gophers on Tuesday.
Lafayette Jefferson got a massive performance out of Ahni Harper, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Maya Thomas, who went 2-for-3 with three runs and one double.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for North Newton, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They never let Tri-County get on the board and left with a 10-0 win on Tuesday. Considering the Spartans have won 11 matchups by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Sydney Rainford made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in 15 consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Caylee Oxley, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high. June Busboom was another key player, earning three RBI, one run, and one stolen base.
North Newton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .560. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Tri-County only posted an OBP of .167.
North Newton has been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 13 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-3-1 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.2 runs over those games. As for Lafayette Jefferson, their win bumped their record up to 12-8.
Lafayette Jefferson came up short against North Newton when the teams last played back in May of 2023, falling 12-7. Can the Bronchos avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
