Central was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They took a 9-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of the North Central Knights. That's two games in a row now that Central has lost by exactly five runs.
Tashia Quick was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Kinsey Mangum, who went 2-for-3 with a triple, a stolen base, and two RBI.
On North Central's side, Mackenzie Melton was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). Melton has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in eight consecutive pitching appearances. Melton was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Bailee Baker was excellent, going 1-for-1 with a triple, a run, and an RBI. Emily Rumple was another key contributor, going 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Central's defeat dropped their record down to 2-8. As for North Central, the victory was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 9-3.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Central will get a bit of extra time to process the loss as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Forest Hills at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. After both having extra time off, North Central and Great Falls will shake off the cobwebs and square off against one another at 7:00 p.m. on April 10th. North Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
