Westwood has won five straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Norton has won five straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Wolverines will welcome the Lancers at 3:45 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Westwood 3.6, Norton 2.1) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Westwood will bounce into Thursday's matchup after beating Bellingham, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Wolverines' pitcher stepped up to hand the Blackhawks a 4-0 shutout on Wednesday. The Wolverines have beaten the Blackhawks the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Blackhawks has come to flipping the script.
Bridget Mulkeen
| 04/30/25 @ Bellingham | 17 |
| 04/28/25 vs Medway | 12 |
| 04/17/25 vs Fontbonne Academy | 17 |
| 04/14/25 @ Holliston | 13 |
| 04/11/25 @ Hopkinton | 7 |
| + 3 more games |
Bridget Mulkeen made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 17 over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, two RBI, and one double.
Mulkeen wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Brooke Benger, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Norton made easy work of Norwood on Wednesday and carried off a 10-3 win. Considering the Lancers have won seven contests by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Westwood, Norton also got a great game from a two-way player: Liana Danubio. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over seven innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. Danubio was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run.
In other batting news, Avery Tinkham was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Gabby Rodriguez, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Norton was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .385. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .300 or higher in three consecutive games.
Norton's victory bumped their record up to 10-1. As for Westwood, their win bumped their record up to 6-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Westwood has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 12.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Norton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Westwood couldn't quite get it done against Norton when the teams last played back in May of 2024 as they fell 3-0. Will the Wolverines have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
