The Oak Harbor Rockets will challenge the Fairbanks Panthers at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Oak Harbor sitting on three straight wins and Fairbanks on eight.
Oak Harbor is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They walked away with a 7-3 victory over Elmwood.
Morgan Lalonde was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. Lalonde was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Hannah Schimmoeller was excellent, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Ava Geyer was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Oak Harbor hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Fairbanks posted their closest win since April 9th on Wednesday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Eastwood 2-1.
Macy Kise spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up 13 Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in eight consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jenna Dee, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run and two runs.
Fairbanks' win bumped their record up to 23-2. As for Oak Harbor, their victory bumped their record up to 23-6.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Oak Harbor hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .365. However, it's not like Fairbanks struggles in that department as they've averaged .399. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
