The Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines will head out on the road to challenge the Pine River-Backus Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
As a matter of fact, Wadena-Deer Creek put up the most runs they have all season on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 14-2 margin over Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale. The win continues a trend for the Wolverines in their matchups with the Bears: they've now won six in a row.
Ben Krekalu made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. Krekalu was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one triple and one RBI. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other batting news, Wadena-Deer Creek got a massive performance out of Carson Davis, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple was Davis' first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Connor Dutke, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Wadena-Deer Creek was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .531. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Pine River-Backus hadn't beaten Lake of the Woods on the road since April 14, 2015 but that history sure didn't bother them on Thursday. The Tigers walked away with a 10-7 victory over the Bears. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Tigers' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Koal Oberfell made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Grady Mongan was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs. Eli Abraham was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
Wadena-Deer Creek now has a winning record of 5-4. As for Pine River-Backus, their record is now 3-4.
Pine River-Backus' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Wadena-Deer Creek hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .340. It's a different story for Pine River-Backus, though, as they've only averaged .246. Will they be able to contain Wadena-Deer Creek's hitters? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
