The Western Panthers will face off against the Northwestern Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Western is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
Northwestern will be up against a hot Western squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. The Panthers' pitcher stepped up to hand West Lafayette a 10-0 shutout on Monday. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by seven runs or more this season.
Not much got past Kylie Miller, who gave up just a hit and racked up 15 Ks to keep West Lafayette off the board. Miller has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Brynley Erb was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, four runs, and two stolen bases. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. Emma Roe was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Western was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .462. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as West Lafayette only posted a batting average of .050.
Meanwhile, Northwestern fell victim to North Miami and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They came up short against the Warriors, falling 10-0. The contest marked the first time this year in which the Tigers were not able to get on the board.
Western's win was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-1. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Northwestern, they now have a losing record of 2-3.
Northwestern's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Western has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.4 hits per game. It's a different story for Northwestern, though, as they've been averaging 8.8 hits. Given Western's sizable advantage in that area, the Tigers will need to find a way to close that gap.
Western took their win against Northwestern in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 15-0 score. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tigers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
