The McQueen Lancers will venture away from home to take on the Reed Raiders at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
McQueen was handed a nine-run defeat in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Monday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Las Plumas, sneaking past 7-5.
Montana Huitt was excellent, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one stolen base and two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Izzy Richards, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
McQueen always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .519. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Reed entered their tilt with Douglas on Saturday with ten consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with 11. They were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Tigers. Considering the Raiders have won 12 games by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Kehaulani Tambaoan was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tiare Kanae, who fired off two home runs and five RBI while going 3-for-4. She is on a roll when it comes to RBI, as she's now brought in three or more in each of the last four games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Krystyn Noble, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, one run, and one double.
Reed pushed their record up to 17-3-1 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for McQueen, they now have a winning record of 11-10.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. McQueen hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. However, it's not like Reed struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.9 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
McQueen might still be hurting after the 6-0 loss they got from Reed when the teams last played back in February. Can the Lancers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
