The McCook Central/Montrose Cougars will head out to take on the Chamberlain Cubs at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (McCook Central/Montrose has nine straight wins, Chamberlain has four straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Fans were treated to a battle of the Cougars on Friday. McCook Central/Montrose walked away with a 5-1 victory over Viborg/Hurley.
Zaidee Huls made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She tossed seven innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits. Huls was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Ashtyn DeKnikker was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Mya Morrison, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, one run, and one double.
McCook Central/Montrose kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits every time they've taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, Chamberlain lost 17-6 to Baltic on Monday.
Jayda Brown led a balanced group of hitters, going 1-for-2 with four stolen bases and one run. Jovie Vandenbosch also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Chamberlain's loss dropped their record down to 2-8. As for McCook Central/Montrose, their record is now 9-1.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. McCook Central/Montrose hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .534. However, it's not like Chamberlain struggles in that department as they've averaged .413. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
