White Pine hasn't had much luck against Needles recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Bobcats will challenge the Mustangs at 10:00 a.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
White Pine is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They walked away with an 8-4 win over Lincoln County.
Paige Hayward spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on eight hits.
At the plate, Camden Johnson was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Cecilia Barbosa was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Needles came tearing into Friday's matchup with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.5 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on the Bobcats with a sharp 14-3 victory. 14 seems to be a good number for the Mustangs as the squad scooped up a win with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Audrina Bullchild made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits (and only one walk). Bullchild was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one double.
In other batting news, Emmerson Powell and Scotti Powell did most of the damage at the plate: Emmerson went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, one triple, and one stolen base, while Scotti went 1-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Katie Smith, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run.
Needles always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as White Pine only posted an OBP of .318.
White Pine has been performing well recently as they've won 12 of their last 15 games. That's provided a massive bump to their 15-12 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.5 runs over those games. As for Needles, their record is now 23-6.
Saturday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. White Pine has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .475. However, it's not like Needles struggles in that department as they've averaged .507. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
White Pine suffered a grim 14-3 defeat to Needles when the teams last played on Friday. Can the Bobcats avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
