After both having extra time off, the Whitko Wildcats and the Carroll Chargers will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Whitko took a loss when they played away from home last Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed last Thursday. They had just enough and edged out Lakeland 4-3.
Cassidy Skinner made a big impact no matter where she played. She pitched seven innings while giving up three earned runs off seven hits. Skinner was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and one double.
In other batting news, Hope Bradley was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Reagan Klepinger, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Carroll ultimately got the result they hoped for last Thursday. They came out on top against South Bend Riley by a score of 8-4.
Taylor Danley spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four runs (all of which were unearned) on four hits and racked up 12 Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Lauren Kirkpatrick, who got on base in all five of her plate appearances with one triple, two RBI, and one double. What's more, she posted three hits, the most she's had since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Lily Schultz, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances.
Carroll kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as South Bend Riley only managed five hits.
Whitko now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Carroll, they pushed their record up to 1-0 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season.
Whitko suffered a grim 16-4 defeat to Carroll in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can the Wildcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
