Delavan is 0-3 against Blue Ridge since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Delavan Panthers will head out on the road to square off against the Blue Ridge Knights at 4:30 p.m. Delavan is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7.3 runs per game this season.
Delavan took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Manual with a sharp 15-0 win. Considering Delavan has won four matchups by more than nine runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Lainey Klokkenga made a splash no matter where she played. She tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Klokkenga was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Nola Houston was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. Addi Fisher was another key contributor, scoring two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Blue Ridge started off well but failed to capitalize on an early lead against Paxton-Buckley-Loda. They might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 7-6 to the Panthers, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior. Blue Ridge has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Ellie Schlieper spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and two unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Addison Roos made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored three runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-3. She continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Cassie Zimmerman, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Delavan has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a massive bump to their 5-6 record this season. As for Blue Ridge, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Delavan has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Blue Ridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.1. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Delavan came up short against Blue Ridge when the teams last played back in May of 2023, falling 6-2. Can Delavan avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
