Eagan and Lakeville North are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2017, but likely not for long. The Wildcats will square off against the Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Eagan's pitching crew has only allowed 3.7 runs per game this season, so Lakeville North's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Eagan took a six-run defeat the last time they faced off against Prior Lake, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Wildcats sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 victory over the Lakers on Wednesday. While the Wildcats didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Jocelyn McClary
| 04/30/25 @ Prior Lake | 14 |
| 04/29/25 @ Farmington | 11 |
| 04/25/25 vs Lakeville South | 7 |
| 04/16/25 @ Rosemount | 9 |
| 04/11/25 vs Prior Lake | 6 |
| + 2 more games |
Jocelyn McClary was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out 14 batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off eight hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles.
In other batting news, Sydney Holt was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one home run. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season. Another player making a difference was Greta Bergh, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one run.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Lakeville North faced off against Farmington on Wednesday. The Panthers lost 13-6 to the Tigers. The Panthers have struggled against the Tigers recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost meeting.
Lydia Rosin was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Kensi Johnson, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one run and one RBI.
Eagan is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Lakeville North, their loss dropped their record down to 3-5.
Lakeville North's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Eagan has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Lakeville North, though, as they've been averaging only 2.8 strikeouts. Will Eagan keep running through batters, or will the Panthers buck the trend?
Eagan was able to grind out a solid victory over Lakeville North in their previous meeting back in April, winning 5-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Wildcats since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
