With a playoff game on the line, Northern rose to the challenge on Saturday. They were the clear victor by an 8-2 margin over the Southern Rams. The victory was nothing new for Northern as they're now sitting on six straight.
Luke Ross made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits (and only one walk). Ross has been consistent recently: he hasn't pitched less than five innings in four consecutive pitching appearances. Ross was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing four bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Wally Brands was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Kyle Broadwater, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Like Northern, Southern also got a great game from a two-way player: Jared Haskiel. He struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off four hits. Haskiel was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Haskiel wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Jack Healy, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Northern's win bumped their record up to 11-7. As for Southern, they are on a five-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 11-9.
Northern is on the road again on Tuesday to play Allegany at 4:00 p.m. Allegany will roll in looking for their 17th straight victory, something Northern surely won't give up without a fight. Southern does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
