For the first time this season, Deer Isle-Stonington will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will host the Penobscot Valley Howlers 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.
Deer Isle-Stonington will bounce into Friday's contest after beating Greenville, who they had gone 0-3 against in their three prior meetings. The Mariners came out on top against the Lakers by a score of 11-8 on Friday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Mariners.
Hannah Billings
| 05/02/25 @ Greenville | 12 |
| 04/29/25 @ Sumner | 5 |
| 04/28/25 @ Sumner | 5 |
| 04/25/25 vs Sumner | 6 |
| 04/23/25 @ Lee Academy | 6 |
Hannah Billings made a big impact no matter where she played. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her five plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Naomi Duke, who got on base in all five of her plate appearances with three stolen bases, four runs, and one double. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 1.2 stolen bases per game. Nevaeh King also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
Meanwhile, Penobscot Valley's rock-solid pitcher showed up for the team's third consecutive shutout on Wednesday. They didn't even let Stearns on the board, marking the Howlers' second-straight 16-0 shutout. The Howlers haven't had any issues with the Minutemen recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Abby Farley was incredible, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one triple. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Kamryn Miller, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Penobscot Valley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .318 or higher in six consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Penobscot Valley pushed their record up to 3-0 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.0 runs on average this season. As for Deer Isle-Stonington, their win bumped their record up to 2-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Deer Isle-Stonington has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Penobscot Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Deer Isle-Stonington suffered a grim 14-2 defeat to Penobscot Valley in their previous meeting back in June of 2019. Will the Mariners have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
