The Pine River-Backus Tigers will face off against the Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Pine River-Backus came out on top against Lake of the Woods on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run third inning. The Tigers took their matchup against the Bears 10-7. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Tigers' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
| 05/01/25 @ Lake of the Woods | 7 |
| 04/25/25 vs Mille Lacs co-op [Isle/Onamia] | 5 |
| 04/11/25 vs Lake Park-Audubon | 11 |
Koal Oberfell was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Pine River-Backus got a massive performance out of Grady Mongan, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs. Eli Abraham was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Wadena-Deer Creek). They were the clear victors by a 14-2 margin over Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale on Tuesday. The Wolverines haven't had any issues with the Bears recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Like Pine River-Backus, Wadena-Deer Creek also got a great game from a two-way player: Ben Krekalu. He pitched five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. Krekalu was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one triple and one RBI. That triple was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Carson Davis was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Connor Dutke, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Wadena-Deer Creek was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .531. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Wadena-Deer Creek's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-4. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.8 runs over those games. As for Pine River-Backus, their win bumped their record up to 3-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Pine River-Backus has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Wadena-Deer Creek struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
