Midland is 1-7 against Princeville since April of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Timberwolves will venture away from home to face off against the Princes at 4:30 p.m. Midland is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last four games.
Midland had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 12-run drubbing they dealt Blue Ridge on Friday. The Timberwolves were the clear victors by a 22-10 margin over the Knights. The Timberwolves' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Layla Loeser (2029) spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and seven unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up seven Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Maggie Dorsey (2027), who got on base in four of her six plate appearances with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in hits (two). Adalynn Stickel (2027) also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Midland always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .531. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Princeville suffered their closest defeat since March 20th on Saturday. They fell just short of Bureau Valley by a score of 9-7. The loss continues a trend for the Princes in their meetings with the Storm: they've now lost three in a row.
Kam Smith was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Reagan Walsh was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Midland's victory bumped their record up to 5-6. As for Princeville, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-11.
Midland came out on top in a nail-biter against Princeville in their previous meeting back in March, sneaking past 10-8. Will the Timberwolves repeat their success, or do the Princes have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
