Goshen hasn't had much luck against Northridge recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The RedHawks will be playing in front of their home fans against the Raiders at 5:30 p.m. Goshen has given up an average of 10.8 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Goshen is headed into Wednesday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fifth straight game on Monday. They came up short against NorthWood, falling 16-1. The match marked the RedHawks' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Goshen saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Abi Blankenship, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Northridge never let their opponents score on Monday. They blew past Plymouth 6-0. Considering the Raiders have won seven games by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
The result came thanks to Addi Knisley's shutout, as she gave up just six hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in eight consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Mia Branam, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Willow Staley, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Northridge hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Plymouth struck out seven times.
Northridge has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.4 runs on average over those games. As for Goshen, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-9.
Northridge's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Wednesday. Goshen has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Northridge, though, as they've been averaging only 3.8 strikeouts. Will Goshen keep running through batters, or will the Raiders buck the trend?
Goshen suffered a grim 13-3 defeat to Northridge in their previous meeting two weeks ago. Will the RedHawks have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
