The Utica Chieftains will challenge the Lutheran North Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Utica will bounce into Friday's game after beating Dakota, who they had gone 0-4 against in their four prior meetings. The Chieftains walked away with a 10-5 win over the Cougars on Wednesday.
Violet Smith made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off 11 hits. Smith was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April of 2025.
In other batting news, Utica let Avery Nicosia and Rachel Durecki run wild. Nicosia went 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI, while Durecki went 1-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. Ava Brunning was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, Lutheran North had just enough and edged out Marine City 3-2 on Thursday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Mustangs.
Megan Rocker (2026)(Hope College) spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up 13 Ks.
At the plate, Lutheran North's victory was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Mikenna Campisi (2027), who went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI. Another was Peyton Jones (2029), who went 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
Lutheran North's win bumped their record up to 2-0. As for Utica, the victory got them back to even at 1-1.
Utica was able to grind out a solid win over Lutheran North in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, winning 10-6. Do the Chieftains have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mustangs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
