The Harrison Raiders will venture away from home to square off against the Western Panthers at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Harrison fell victim to Carmel and their airtight pitching crew on Monday. They took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Greyhounds.
Lilly Kiefer
| 05/19/25 @ Carmel | 8 |
| 05/17/25 vs Kankakee Valley | 8 |
| 05/15/25 vs Benton Central | 8 |
Lilly Kiefer was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: she struck out eight batters over six innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
Meanwhile, Western waltzed into their matchup on Wednesday with nine straight wins... but they left with ten. Everything went their way against the Golden Eagles as they made off with a 13-3 victory. Considering the Panthers have won 14 games by more than six runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Emma Roe was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched 3.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. Roe was even better at the plate, firing off two home runs and four RBI while going 2-for-3. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Western got a massive performance out of Brynley Erb, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Jocelyn Jeffers, who went 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Western lost a few balls and finished the game with six home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Western pushed their record up to 23-3 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Harrison, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-12.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Harrison has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Western struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Harrison might still be hurting after the 12-2 loss they got from Western when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Raiders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
