Ithaca has gone 9-1 against Michigan Lutheran Seminary recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Yellowjackets will head out to face off against the Cardinals at 4:00 p.m. Ithaca will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
On Monday, Ithaca was able to grind out a solid win over Freeland, taking the game 8-4.
Ivy Davenport
| 05/05/25 vs Freeland | 12 |
| 05/02/25 @ Valley Lutheran | 16 |
| 04/30/25 @ Evart | 11 |
| 04/25/25 vs Central Montcalm | 16 |
| 04/23/25 @ Merrill | 14 |
| + 6 more games |
Ivy Davenport spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 11 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Emmalee Shankel, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. That's the most runs she has posted over her last 12 matchups. Maeli Akin was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, Michigan Lutheran Seminary narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Byron 7-5. The Cardinals haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Addison Whitmer was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Sam Priem, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Michigan Lutheran Seminary hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in three consecutive contests.
Ithaca's victory was their tenth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-3. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for Michigan Lutheran Seminary, their record is now 13-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Ithaca has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Michigan Lutheran Seminary struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Ithaca's way against Michigan Lutheran Seminary when the teams last played back in April, as Ithaca made off with a 10-2 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Yellowjackets since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
