The Harper Creek Beavers will head out to square off against the Marshall Redhawks at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Harper Creek's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They didn't even let Hastings on the board, marking the Beavers' second-straight 15-0 shutout. The victory was nothing new for the Beavers as they're now sitting on three straight.
Kennedy Halverson was a standout: she went 1-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Sophie Kline, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Harper Creek hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Marshall). They were the clear victors by a 25-3 margin over Pennfield on Tuesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Redhawks with their most commanding win of the season.
Bella Ryan was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, seven RBI, and three runs. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Alayna Hayes, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs, three RBI, and one stolen base.
Harper Creek's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games. As for Marshall, their record is now 9-4.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Harper Creek hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .415. However, it's not like Marshall struggles in that department as they've averaged .450. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Harper Creek might still be hurting after the 10-4 defeat they got from Marshall when the teams last played back in June of 2024. Can the Beavers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
