The New Lisbon Rockets will head out to face off against the Royall Panthers at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: New Lisbon has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while Royall will arrive with three straight victories.
Hillsboro hit New Lisbon with a four-run fourth inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Rockets took an 8-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Tigers. That's two games in a row now that the Rockets have lost by exactly four runs.
New Lisbon saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Karey Edgerton, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Royall hadn't done well against De Soto recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Panthers came out on top against the Pirates by a score of 6-2.
Brynn Olson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on four hits and racked up six Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Aunika Wopat, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Hannah Biermeier also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
New Lisbon now has a losing record of 5-6. As for Royall, their record is now 8-3.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. New Lisbon has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .497. However, it's not like Royall struggles in that department as they've averaged .458. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
New Lisbon suffered a grim 13-4 defeat to Royall in their previous meeting on April 9th. Can the Rockets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
