The Fairbanks Panthers will face off against the Oak Harbor Rockets at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Fairbanks will be looking to extend their current eight-game winning streak.
Fairbanks is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They had just enough and edged out Eastwood 2-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Panthers have posted since April 9th.
Macy Kise spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up 13 Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in eight consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Jenna Dee was incredible, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run and two runs.
Meanwhile, Oak Harbor had already won two in a row and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. They walked away with a 7-3 win over the Royals.
Morgan Lalonde made a splash while hitting and pitching. She tossed seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. Lalonde was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Hannah Schimmoeller, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Ava Geyer, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Oak Harbor hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in three consecutive matches.
Fairbanks' record now sits at 23-2. As for Oak Harbor, their record is now 23-6.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Friday. Fairbanks hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.7 home runs per game. However, it's not like Oak Harbor struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.9 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
