The Pike Liberal Arts Patriots will take on the Luverne Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Pike Liberal Arts will be strutting in after a victory while Luverne will be coming in after a defeat.
Pike Liberal Arts lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Zion Chapel, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Tuesday's contest. The Patriots blew past the Rebels 8-2 on Tuesday. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Patriots as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Alissa Barron spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on five hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Shelly Stephens, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Haylie Brown, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 18 runs the game before, Luverne was a bit more limited in their game on Tuesday. They fell just short of Straughn by a score of 3-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss Luverne has suffered since April 9, 2024.
Luverne also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Lacey Kelley gave up three runs (all of which were unearned) on one hit and racked up six Ks. Kelley has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances.
Luverne's defeat dropped their record down to 3-5-1. As for Pike Liberal Arts, their victory bumped their record up to 7-9.
Luverne's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Pike Liberal Arts hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .321. It's a different story for Luverne, though, as they've only averaged .238. Will they be able to contain Pike Liberal Arts' hitters?
Pike Liberal Arts beat Luverne 7-2 in their previous matchup back in March. Do the Patriots have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tigers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
