Augusta is on a five-game streak of home wins, while Eleva-Strum is on a five-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Beavers will host the Cardinals at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
On Thursday, Augusta sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-2 win over Melrose-Mindoro. That's two games straight that the Beavers have won by just one run.
Brooklyn Krueger spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on three hits and racked up 11 Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
Faith Bergman
| 04/30/26 @ Melrose-Mindoro | 2 |
| 04/28/26 vs Colfax | 1 |
| 04/24/26 @ Pepin/Alma | 1 |
| 04/21/26 vs Melrose-Mindoro | 1 |
| 04/14/26 vs Cochrane-Fountain City | 1 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Faith Bergman, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. Those two hits gave her a new career-high.
Augusta hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in six consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Eleva-Strum narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Independence/Gilmanton 3-1.
Eleva-Strum also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Ruby Bartholomew gave up only one earned run on two hits and racked up 14 Ks.
At the plate, Mariah Steffenson was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI. Those doubles were her first of the season. Josie Iverson was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one double and one RBI.
Augusta's win bumped their record up to 10-1. As for Eleva-Strum, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.
Eleva-Strum's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Augusta hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .317. It's a different story for Eleva-Strum, though, as they've only averaged .187. Will they be able to contain Augusta's hitters?
Augusta beat Eleva-Strum 3-0 in their previous meeting back in April. Will the Beavers repeat their success, or do the Cardinals have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
