Kickapoo is 2-8 against Seneca since June of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Panthers will venture away from home to challenge the Indians at 5:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Friday.
Having struggled with six defeats in a row, Kickapoo turned things around against North Crawford on Monday. They put the hurt on the Trojans with a sharp 15-4 win. Considering the Panthers' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Maddy Townsend made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Townsend was even better at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lorelai Young, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That stolen base was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Haylee Peterson, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Kickapoo always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .545. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Seneca got the win against De Soto on Thursday by a conclusive 9-3. The Indians might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four games by six runs or more this season.
Like Kickapoo, Seneca also got a great game from a two-way player: Lily Payne. She didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. Payne was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Those two hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Karsyn Thoma was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs and one RBI. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Camryn Lenzendorf, who went 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
The victory was their first at home, bumping their record up to 2-8. As for Seneca, they now have a winning record of 7-6.
Kickapoo couldn't quite finish off Seneca in their previous meeting back in April and fell 4-2. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
