Hemlock will venture away from home to take on Breckenridge at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Breckenridge will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: Hemlock extended their winning streak to seven on Wednesday. Everything went the Huskies' way against Michigan Lutheran Seminary as they made off with a 13-1 victory. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last three times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Sage LaVigne was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out eight over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Hemlock let Kinsley Conger and Lyndsey Lyscas run wild. Conger went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one double, while Lyscas went 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. Maylin Buckley was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.
Hemlock always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Michigan Lutheran Seminary only posted an OBP of .118.
Meanwhile, Breckenridge got themselves on the board against Glenn on Tuesday, but Glenn never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Bobcats with a sharp 7-0 win. The victory continues a trend for the Huskies in their matchups with the Bobcats: they've now won three in a row.
Karley Braman made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over seven innings pitched. Braman was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, one triple, and one double. Those three hits gave her a new career-high.
Braman wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Lydia Slavik, who went 1-for-4 with two runs.
Hemlock's record is now 17-8. As for Breckenridge, their record now sits at 15-11.
Breckenridge's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Hemlock has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Breckenridge, though, as they've been averaging only 3.5 strikeouts. Will Hemlock keep running through batters, or will Breckenridge buck the trend?
Hemlock got the 'W' in their previous matchup back in May of 2018 against Breckenridge by a conclusive 9-2 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hemlock since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
