The Buckeye Local Panthers will head out on the road to square off against the Beaver Local Beavers at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Buckeye Local came up short against Brooke and fell 9-5.
Danika Bauknecht made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while going 2-for-4. Tatum Walker also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
Meanwhile, Beaver Local came tearing into Wednesday's contest with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Everything went their way against the Redskins as they made off with an 8-2 win. The result was nothing new for the Beavers, who have now won eight games by six runs or more so far this season.
Addie Thurik made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4. What's more, she posted two doubles, the most she's had since back in March.
In other batting news, Beaver Local let Ciara Call and Brylee Curtis run wild. Call scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3, while Curtis scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Curtis has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times she's played. Ally Wright was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Beaver Local pushed their record up to 9-2 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.7 runs over those games. As for Buckeye Local, they now have a losing record of 6-7.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Buckeye Local hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .377. However, it's not like Beaver Local struggles in that department as they've averaged .399. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Buckeye Local took their victory against Beaver Local in their previous meeting back in April of 2022 by a conclusive 17-4 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
