Dover-Eyota had lost three straight at home, but on Friday they dropped down to 7-10 to make it four. They fell just short of the Pine Island Panthers by a score of 9-8. If the Eagles were looking for revenge after losing 11-1 to the Panthers when the teams met back in April of 2025, then they'll just have to keep looking.
Kade Hammel was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Owen Ihrke, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
As for Pine Island, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 8-7. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.5 runs over those games.
On Pine Island's side, Alex Knox was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over 4.2 innings while giving up four earned (and three unearned) runs off six hits. Knox has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ben Grabau, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three RBI and two runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in May of 2025. Bennett Matzek was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming matchups. Dover-Eyota will square off against Wabasha-Kellogg at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. As for Pine Island, they will venture away from home to challenge Red Wing at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
