The Middle Creek Mustangs will head out on the road to challenge the Panther Creek Catamounts at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Middle Creek is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 6.5 runs per game this season.
Middle Creek put the finishing touches on their third blowout victory of the season on Friday. They put the hurt on Green Level with a sharp 11-1 win.
Hailey Hoeft made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits (and only one walk). Hoeft has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive pitching appearances. Hoeft was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with an RBI.
In other batting news, Keira Tankelewicz was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while going 4-for-4. Another player making a difference was Kristen Norton, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Panther Creek earned a 9-5 victory over Holly Springs on Friday.
Like Middle Creek, Panther Creek also got a great game from a two-way player: Andrea Care. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off 11 hits. Care was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, Brooklinn Thomas was incredible, going 3-for-5 with three RBI, a triple, and a run. Jolyna Lamar was another key contributor, going 2-for-3 with two runs, a triple, and an RBI.
Middle Creek's record now sits at 3-7. As for Panther Creek, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a nice bump to their 4-5 record this season.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Monday. Middle Creek hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Panther Creek struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.7. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Middle Creek skirted past Panther Creek 3-1 when the teams last played back in April of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Middle Creek since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
