The Pinconning Spartans will head out on the road to take on the St. Louis Sharks at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday.
Ogemaw Heights hit Pinconning with a six-run seventh inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Spartans fell just short of the Falcons by a score of 8-7. The Spartans have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Kaylee Rugenstein was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Elizabeth Fath-Sylvester, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI.
Meanwhile, St. Louis entered their tilt with Standish-Sterling on Thursday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They never let the Panthers get on the board and left with a 2-0 win. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Sharks have posted since April 4th.
Paige Luneack was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out ten over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one RBI. Those three hits gave her a new career-high.
Luneack wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Halle Hoyt, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run. Hoyt is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: she's snagged at least one every time she's taken the field this season.
St. Louis pushed their record up to 11-5 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Pinconning, their loss dropped their record down to 7-10.
Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Pinconning hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .336. However, it's not like St. Louis struggles in that department as they've averaged .358. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pinconning suffered a grim 11-5 defeat to St. Louis in their previous matchup back in April. Can the Spartans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
