Sparta is 7-1-1 against Comstock Park since April of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Spartans will host the Panthers at 1:45 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Sparta took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They blew past Catholic Central 9-1. The Spartans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 contests by six runs or more this season.
Taliya Dauser spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on two hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances.
Jurnee Ross
| 05/27/25 vs Catholic Central | 3 |
| 05/02/25 vs Holton | 2 |
| 04/24/25 @ South Christian | 2 |
| 05/23/25 @ Oakridge | 1 |
| 05/09/25 vs Newaygo | 1 |
At the plate, Jurnee Ross was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three stolen bases and two runs. Those three stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Layla Vallone was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Comstock Park). Everything went their way against Holland on Tuesday as they made off with an 18-8 win.
Comstock Park also let their pitcher toss all six innings played and she was also dialed-in: Taylor Patin gave up four earned (and four unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up eight Ks. With that strong performance, Patin is now averaging an impressive 1.1 stolen bases per game.
On the hitting side, Lilly Wollen and Megan Pefley did most of the damage at the plate: Wollen went 2-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and one stolen base, while Pefley went 2-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. Those doubles marked the first that Wollen has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Kayla Schuiling, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one triple.
Comstock Park kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Sparta is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-11 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Comstock Park, their win ended an eight-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-12.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Sparta hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .338. However, it's not like Comstock Park struggles in that department as they've averaged .405. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Sparta's way against Comstock Park in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Sparta made off with an 18-6 victory. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
