A feisty cat fight will be fought as Klein Oak Panthers challenge Klein Collins Tigers at 6:15 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Klein Oak has five straight victories, Klein Collins has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Klein Oak is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Everything went their way against Klein Forest on Tuesday as Klein Oak made off with a 23-0 win. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten matchups by six runs or more this season.
Aubrey Lacour made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. That's the fewest hits she has allowed since back in February. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. What's more, she posted two doubles, the most she's had since back in February.
In other pitching news, Riannah Boulanger looked comfortable as she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up a single earned run in eight consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Klein Oak got a massive performance out of Makenzie Berkman, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. That's the most hits Berkman has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Katelyn Havemann, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Klein Oak lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Klein Forest didn't launched any home runs.
Meanwhile, Tuesday just wasn't the day for Klein Collins' offense. They lost 7-0 to Klein on Tuesday.
Klein Oak's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-7. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Klein Collins, their loss dropped their record down to 2-17.
Klein Collins' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Klein Oak hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .343. It's a different story for Klein Collins, though, as they've only averaged .250. Will they be able to contain Klein Oak's hitters?
Klein Oak took their victory against Klein Collins when the teams last played back in February by a conclusive 12-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Klein Oak since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
