The Northgate Broncos will challenge the Acalanes Dons at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Northgate is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.8 runs per game this season.
Northgate easily dispatched Clayton Valley Charter last Tuesday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Broncos fell just short of Benicia by a score of 10-8 on Thursday. The Broncos' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Stella Hanko was cooking despite her team's loss, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI. Chloe Alfonso was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, with a playoff win on the line, Acalanes rose to the challenge on Wednesday. They never let the Pilots get on the board and left with an 18-0 win. That looming 18-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Dons yet this season.
Maya Shoenhair made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over five innings pitched. Shoenhair was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with five RBI. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, June Natal was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four runs, and four RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Santana Tamayo, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Acalanes kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Northgate now has a losing record of 10-11. As for Acalanes, the victory snapped their losing streak at seven games and leaves them with a 10-11 record.
Everything went Northgate's way against Acalanes when the teams last played two weeks ago, as Northgate made off with a 14-5 win. Will the Broncos repeat their success, or do the Dons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
