The Moline Maroons will face off against the East Moline United Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Moline is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past Galesburg 16-3 on Tuesday. The victory continues a trend for the Maroons in their matchups with the Silver Streaks: they've now won nine in a row.
Kayley Reynolds made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, six RBI, and one triple. Those four hits gave her a new career-high.
Emersyn Rasso
| 04/15/25 vs Galesburg | 3 |
| 03/31/25 @ Rock Falls | 2 |
| 05/10/24 vs Hononegah | 2 |
| 04/30/24 @ Quincy | 2 |
| 04/20/24 vs Sterling | 2 |
In other batting news, Emersyn Rasso was incredible, firing off two home runs, three runs, and three RBI while going 3-for-4. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Gianna DeLeon, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run and three RBI.
Moline always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .618. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, after low-scoring totals in their previous four contests, East Moline United brought some dynamite into their most recent contest. They put the hurt on Quincy with a sharp 17-3 win on Tuesday. Considering the Panthers' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Samantha Verstraete was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Verstraete was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Miah Berhenke, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, seven RBI, and four runs. She also put up two doubles, which were her first of the season. Mea Johnson was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one home run.
The victory was their first at home , bumping their record up to 5-9. As for East Moline United, their win bumped their record up to 7-4.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Moline hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .330. However, it's not like East Moline United struggles in that department as they've averaged .315. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Moline beat East Moline United 6-1 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Will the Maroons repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
