The Penobscot Valley Howlers are taking a road trip to challenge the Deer Isle-Stonington Mariners at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Penobscot Valley knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with ten runs or more in their past three contests -- so hopefully Deer Isle-Stonington likes a good challenge.
If Penobscot Valley beats Deer Isle-Stonington with 16 runs on Friday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two matches with that exact score. The Howlers didn't even let Stearns on the board on Wednesday, marking the Howlers' second-straight 16-0 shutout. The Howlers' pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last three games.
Abby Farley was incredible, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one triple. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Kamryn Miller, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Penobscot Valley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .318 or higher in six consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Deer Isle-Stonington hadn't done well against Greenville recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Mariners came out on top against the Lakers by a score of 11-8. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Mariners.
Hannah Billings made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her five plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Naomi Duke, who got on base in all five of her plate appearances with three stolen bases, four runs, and one double. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 1.2 stolen bases per game. Nevaeh King also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
Penobscot Valley's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 3-0. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 14.0 runs this season. As for Deer Isle-Stonington, the victory was their first on the road , bumping their record up to 2-4.
Deer Isle-Stonington's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Penobscot Valley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .397. It's a different story for Deer Isle-Stonington, though, as they've only averaged .230. Will they be able to contain Penobscot Valley's hitters?
Everything went Penobscot Valley's way against Deer Isle-Stonington in their previous meeting back in June of 2019, as Penobscot Valley made off with a 14-2 win. Do the Howlers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mariners turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
