West Ottawa extended their losing streak to three on Saturday, dropping them down to 20-12. They lost 15-1 to the Kenowa Hills Knights. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Panthers, who until this matchup were averaging 3.72 runs allowed.
Aiden Schuitema was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed 4.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one walk any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Abel Anaya stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: he went 2-for-3 with one run and one double. Brody Sobota was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
As for Kenowa Hills, the victory (which was their sixth in a row) raised their record to 22-2. They might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 19 games by six runs or more this season.
On Kenowa Hills' side, Jack Stoddard made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching five innings while giving up just one earned run off six hits. What's more, Stoddard posted five strikeouts, the most he's had over his last four contests. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four RBI.
In other batting news, Brennan Gustinis was a standout: he went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, one stolen base, and one double. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Will Fussman, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one double.
West Ottawa and Kenowa Hills should be looking forward to their upcoming games as both have a sizable advantage in the MaxPreps Michigan Rankings. The Panthers (ranked 40th) will meet Grand Haven (ranked 236th) at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Meanwhile, Kenowa Hills will face off against Sparta at 4:00 p.m. on Monday with a big rank advantage (26 vs. 350).
