East Grand Forks has gone a perfect 8-0 against Crookston recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Green Wave will challenge the Pirates at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
East Grand Forks' pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. Everything went their way against Fosston as they made off with a 10-0 win.
Karlee Walsh
| 05/09/25 @ Fosston | 15 |
| 05/08/25 @ Goodridge/Thief River Falls | 8 |
| 05/06/25 @ Ada-Borup | 11 |
| 05/02/25 vs Grand Forks Central | 9 |
| 04/24/25 @ Warroad | 9 |
| 04/22/25 vs Roseau | 10 |
Karlee Walsh made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 15 over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with four RBI.
In other batting news, Sophia Lukach was incredible, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with six stolen bases and four runs. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 1.6 stolen bases per game. Another player making a difference was Avynn Thorson, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Crookston and Norman County East/Ulen-Hitterdal, and Crookston kept the tradition alive. The Pirates were the clear victors by a 13-3 margin over the Titans on Monday. The victory was some much needed relief for the Pirates as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Like East Grand Forks, Crookston also got a great game from a two-way player: Emily Bowman. She didn't allow a single earned run over six innings pitched. Bowman was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. That home run was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Crookston got a massive performance out of Rilynn Aubol, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one double. That double marked the first that Aubol has hit this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Allysen Wagner, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
East Grand Forks has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Crookston, their record now sits at 4-6.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. East Grand Forks hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .317. However, it's not like Crookston struggles in that department as they've averaged .328. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
East Grand Forks beat Crookston 8-5 in their previous matchup back in May of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Green Wave since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
