Softball Game Preview: Elk River Elks vs. Andover Huskies

The Elk River Elks will head out on the road to take on the Andover Huskies at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Elk River has struggled recently with nine defeats in a row, while Andover will arrive with six straight wins.

On Wednesday, Elk River didn't have quite enough to beat St. Francis and fell 6-5.

Alexa Dakis made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and got on base in four of her five plate appearances with two RBI, one run, and one double. Keliah McKeehan also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.

Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Andover ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They walked away with a 10-7 victory over Spring Lake Park. Andover's win was all the more impressive since the Panthers were averaging only 2.54 runs allowed on the season.

Alex Kostecka spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and four unearned) runs on five hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Chloe Brown, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI.

Andover kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in eight consecutive games.

Elk River's loss dropped their record down to 2-11. As for Andover, their record now sits at 10-2.

Elk River came up short against Andover when the teams last played back in May of 2024, falling 11-7. Can the Elks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.