The Shaker Bison will head out to square off against the Ichabod Crane Riders at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
Shaker easily dispatched Catholic Central on Friday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Bison fell just short of Shenendehowa by a score of 4-2 on Thursday. Having soared to a lofty 14 runs in the game before, the Bison couldn't push the score so high this time.
Shaker saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jezabella Gray, who went 2-for-3 with one run.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last matchup, Ichabod Crane made sure to put some runs up on the board against Voorheesville on Thursday. The Riders blew past the Blackbirds 15-2. Considering the Riders have won six contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Torri Cutler made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching five innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. Cutler was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Abbey Milazzo was incredible, going 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Those three stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Madison Paul, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.
Ichabod Crane kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Ichabod Crane's record is now 9-4. As for Shaker, their defeat was their fourth straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 8-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Shaker has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ichabod Crane struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Shaker might still be hurting after the 12-2 loss they got from Ichabod Crane in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Can the Bison avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
