Garfield has won four straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Ballard has won four straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Tuesday. After both having extra time off, the two teams will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Tuesday, Garfield made easy work of West Seattle and carried off a 15-2 win.
Sammy Breckenridge looked comfortable as she struck out nine batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
Ella Howard
| 04/08/25 @ West Seattle | 5 |
| 04/07/25 @ Mercer Island | 1 |
| 04/04/25 @ Eastside Catholic | 1 |
| 04/03/25 @ Bishop Blanchet | 1 |
| 03/22/25 @ Timberline | 1 |
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ella Howard, who fired off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 4-for-4. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaitlyn Washington, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI.
Garfield kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 19 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in 16 consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Ballard and Nathan Hale meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again last Thursday. The Beavers were the clear victors by a 29-3 margin over the Raiders. The Beavers haven't had any issues with the Raiders recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Grace Shiotani and Alexa Hunt made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Shiotani tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Hunt pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. At bat, Shiotani went 3-for-5 with four runs, three RBI, and one triple, while Hunt got on base in three of her six plate appearances with four runs, four RBI, and one double. That triple was Shiotani's first of the season.
In other batting news, Annika Jahn was incredible, getting on base in five of her six plate appearances with three runs, four RBI, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Brooklyn Morris, who got on base in five of her six plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one double.
Garfield has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine games. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-2 record this season. As for Ballard, their win bumped their record up to 11-2.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Garfield hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .476. However, it's not like Ballard struggles in that department as they've averaged .350. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
