The Stevens Point Panthers are taking a road trip to challenge the D.C. Everest Evergreens at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Stevens Point 3.8, D.C. Everest 1.1) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Stevens Point is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Wisconsin's top teams: Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln, who was ranked 24th at the time (Stevens Point was ranked 12th). The Panthers fell 6-1 to the Red Raiders on Tuesday. The Panthers' defeat signaled the end of their nine-game winning streak.
Stevens Point saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Callie Diekhus, who went 1-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, D.C. Everest strolled into their game on Tuesday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They walked away with a 6-2 win over Wausau West.
The team relied heavily on Aubrey Klatt, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. She also hit a double, marking her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Sydney Spear, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and one run.
D.C. Everest lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since the start of last season.
D.C. Everest's victory was their tenth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 12-0. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.3 runs over those games. As for Stevens Point, their loss dropped their record down to 12-4.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Stevens Point hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .359. However, it's not like D.C. Everest struggles in that department as they've averaged .340. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Stevens Point might still be hurting after the 7-1 defeat they got from D.C. Everest when the teams last played on April 8th. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
