The Oregon Panthers will take on the Watertown Goslings at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Oregon came out on top against Janesville Parker on Monday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run seventh inning. The Panthers took their game against the Vikings 8-3. The matchup marked the Panthers' most dominant win of the season so far.
The team relied heavily on Elliot Mueller, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with one stolen base and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Danny Neis, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Watertown). They blew past Middleton 9-1 on Monday. While the Goslings didn't have the best season last year (they finished 11-14), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Jacob Hurtgen was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI. That RBI was his first of the season.
In other pitching news, Cameron Kranz looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk).
Back at the plate, Conner Kletsch was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. That double marked the first that he has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Hayden Doede, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Watertown was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .393. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
The victory made it two in a row for Watertown and bumps their season record up to 6-2. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.0 runs over those games. As for Oregon, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Oregon has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Watertown struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Oregon couldn't quite finish off Watertown in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 and fell 9-7. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
