The Ashwaubenon Jaguars will take on the Pulaski Red Raiders at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Ashwaubenon's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Monday. They were the clear victors by a 6-0 margin over De Pere. The win continues a trend for the Jaguars in their matchups with the Redbirds: they've now won six in a row.
The result came thanks to Berritt Herr's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up 15 Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Elly Kirst, who went 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Ava Mehlberg, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, Pulaski entered their tilt with Sheboygan South on Tuesday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They blew past the Redwings 23-0. The Red Raiders' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Addison Luebke was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5 strikeouts per game. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs and two RBI. Those four runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Kianna Altendorf was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four runs, and four RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April. Molly Molthen was another key player, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with three stolen bases, four runs, and one RBI.
Pulaski always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .784. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in four consecutive games.
Pulaski pushed their record up to 11-9 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.3 runs over those games. As for Ashwaubenon, their record now sits at 14-3.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Ashwaubenon hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .369. However, it's not like Pulaski struggles in that department as they've averaged .341. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Ashwaubenon was able to grind out a solid victory over Pulaski when the teams last played back in April, winning 6-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Jaguars since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
