Baseball Game Preview: Parkers Prairie Panthers vs. Pillager Huskies

Parkers Prairie has gone 9-1 against Pillager recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Panthers will look to defend their home field against the Huskies at 4:30 p.m.

Upsala/Swanville hit Parkers Prairie with a five-run fifth inning on Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Panthers came up short against the Patriots, falling 9-2.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Pillager). They skirted past Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale 9-7. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Huskies have posted against the Bears since April 9, 2019.

Elliott Imdieke made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Those runs marked the first that he has scored this season.

In other batting news, Alex Brandt was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two runs. Brooks Birchaek was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Pillager's win ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-3. As for Parkers Prairie, their loss ended an 11-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 6-2.

Parkers Prairie took their victory against Pillager in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 9-1 score. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Huskies have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.