The Luverne Tigers will head out on the road to square off against the Pike Liberal Arts Patriots at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Luverne's pitching crew has only allowed 2.9 runs per game this season, so Pike Liberal Arts' hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Luverne easily dispatched Goshen two weeks ago, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. Luverne fell just short of Straughn by a score of 3-1 on Tuesday. Having soared to a lofty 18 runs in the game before, Luverne couldn't push the score so high this time.
Lacey Kelley spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three runs (all of which were unearned) on one hit and racked up six Ks. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Pike Liberal Arts, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They were the clear victors by an 8-2 margin over Zion Chapel on Tuesday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Patriots as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Pike Liberal Arts also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Alissa Barron gave up only one earned (and one unearned) run on five hits.
At the plate, Shelly Stephens was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Gracie Smith, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Pike Liberal Arts' record is now 7-9. As for Luverne, their loss dropped their record down to 3-5-1.
Pike Liberal Arts' hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Luverne has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Pike Liberal Arts, though, as they've been averaging only 2.4 strikeouts. Will Luverne keep running through batters, or will the Patriots buck the trend?
Luverne came up short against Pike Liberal Arts in their previous matchup back in March, falling 7-2. Can the Tigers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
