The Ayer Shirley Panthers will venture away from home to take on the Lunenburg Blue Knights at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Ayer Shirley has given up an average of 9.6 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Ayer Shirley is headed into the matchup having just suffered their biggest defeat since April 30th on Monday. They lost 25-6 to Littleton. The Panthers have struggled against the Tigers recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost meeting.
Lauren Reardon was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one double. Kelsey Peterson was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs.
Meanwhile, Lunenburg got themselves on the board against South on Tuesday, but South never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 21-0 margin over the Colonels. Considering the Blue Knights have won six contests by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Maegan Martell was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Lunenburg got a massive performance out of Lilly Grebinar, who went 4-for-5 with six RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those six RBI gave Grebinar a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Chloe Koziol, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run, four runs, and four RBI.
Lunenburg always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .581. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
The win made it two in a row for Lunenburg and bumps their season record up to 10-6. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 5 runs in those games. As for Ayer Shirley, their loss dropped their record down to 6-10-1.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Ayer Shirley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .319. However, it's not like Lunenburg struggles in that department as they've averaged .333. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Ayer Shirley suffered a grim 24-10 defeat to Lunenburg in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
