Patterson hasn't had much luck against Berwick recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Patterson Lumberjacks are taking a road trip to face off against the Berwick Panthers at 4:00 p.m. Patterson is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8 runs per game this season.
Patterson will bounce into Thursday's matchup after beating St. James, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. Patterson came out on top against St. James by a score of 9-6 on Tuesday. The victory was nothing new for the Lumberjacks as they're now sitting on three straight.
Mia Knight spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and one unearned) runs on six hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Jaselynn Haven and Jada Finister did most of the damage at the plate: Haven scored three runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances, while Finister scored a run while going 1-for-3. That's the most runs Haven has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Laiken Chautin, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Berwick). Everything went their way against New Iberia on Tuesday as Berwick made off with a 24-14 win. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won five contests by eight runs or more so far this season.
Madison Diboll was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out 19 batters over 7.2 innings while giving up six earned (and three unearned) runs off three hits. Diboll was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-5. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played.
In other batting news, Berwick got a massive performance out of Addisen Lipari, who went 4-for-5 with two triples, four RBI, and two runs. Kumari Nadar was another key player, going 2-for-5 with five RBI, two runs, and one triple.
Berwick kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 20 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Berwick is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-8 record this season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 11 runs. Patterson's victory was their first in the district, bumping their district record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 7-5.
Thursday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Patterson has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .498. However, it's not like Berwick struggles in that department as they've averaged .439. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Patterson might still be hurting after the 15-0 loss they got from Berwick in their previous matchup last Tuesday. Can Patterson avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
