Softball Recap: Delavan Triumphs

While Delavan's victory against Blue Ridge wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Panthers had just enough and edged out the Knights 3-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Panthers have posted since March 29th.

Lainey Klokkenga

Batters Struck Out

03/24/25 @ Lexington	4
04/22/25 vs Tremont	4
03/18/25 vs Heyworth	5
04/14/25 @ Illini Bluffs	5
04/12/25 vs Orion	6

Lainey Klokkenga spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on two hits and racked up 17 Ks. Those 17 strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Miley Harper, who went 2-for-4 with two triples and one run. Those two triples gave her a new career-high. Addi Fisher was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Delavan has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-8 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. As for Blue Ridge, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 6-9.

Coming up, Delavan will look to defend their home field on Saturday against Eureka at 9:00 a.m. As for Blue Ridge, they are taking a road trip to face off against Decatur Eisenhower at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. The Panthers have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 14.92 runs per game on average), something the Knights will no doubt try to take advantage of.