The Central McLean [Turtle Lake-Mercer/Underwood/McClusky] Cougars will head out to square off against the Velva/Drake/Anamoose Aggies at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
It was a proper cat-fight when Central McLean [Turtle Lake-Mercer/Underwood/McClusky] challenged Nedrose on Tuesday. The Cougars came out on top against the Cardinals by a score of 11-7. The victory continues a trend for the Cougars in their matchups with the Cardinals: they've now won three in a row.
The team relied heavily on Emry Hunt, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, one run, and one double. That double was her first of the season. Sally Heger was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Velva/Drake/Anamoose got the win against Wilton/Wing on Tuesday by a conclusive 11-3. The result was nothing new for the Aggies, who have now won ten games by six runs or more so far this season.
Grace Balas made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Velva/Drake/Anamoose got a massive performance out of Quincy Bruner, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Kinley Peterson, who went 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
The win made it two in a row for Velva/Drake/Anamoose and bumps their season record up to 11-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 3 runs in those games. As for Central McLean [Turtle Lake-Mercer/Underwood/McClusky], their record now sits at 4-6.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Central McLean [Turtle Lake-Mercer/Underwood/McClusky] has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .466. However, it's not like Velva/Drake/Anamoose struggles in that department as they've averaged .584. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Central McLean [Turtle Lake-Mercer/Underwood/McClusky] might still be hurting after the 12-1 loss they got from Velva/Drake/Anamoose in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
