Lathrop is on a four-game streak of home wins, while West Valley is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Lathrop Malemutes will take on the West Valley Wolf Pack at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Lathrop is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alaska's top teams: North Pole, who was ranked 18th in their home state at the time (Lathrop was ranked 12th). Lathrop was the clear victor by a 15-5 margin over North Pole on Wednesday.
Abbie Evans looked comfortable as she tossed an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, Phoebe Holm was incredible, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now stolen at least one in the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Halle Rainer, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Meanwhile, West Valley got the win against North Pole on Friday by a conclusive 11-2.
Abbey Anthony made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Anthony was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing four bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kayla Anthony, who scored two runs and stole five bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Hunter Pollen, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Lathrop is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 11 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-6-1 record this season. As for West Valley, their win bumped their record up to 7-4-1.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Lathrop has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .544. However, it's not like West Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .534. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lathrop might still be hurting after the 10-2 loss they got from West Valley in their previous matchup back in May of 2023. Will Lathrop have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
