The Harper Creek Beavers will square off against the Wayland Wildcats at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Harper Creek is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.6 runs per game this season.
Harper Creek was handed a seven-run loss in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Portage Central, sneaking past 8-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Beavers have posted since May 2nd.
Aleena Stahlhood spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered six earned runs on 11 hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Kennedy Halverson and Sophie Kline did most of the damage at the plate: Halverson went 3-for-5 with three runs, two doubles, and one triple, while Kline went 4-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That's the most runs Halverson has posted over her last 11 contests. Kaylee Kirkpatrick was another key player, going 3-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Harper Creek kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. They are 12-3 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Wayland entered their tilt with Hastings on Tuesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Saxons a 16-0 shutout. The Wildcats might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 14 matches by six runs or more this season.
Wayland pushed their record up to 17-2 with the victory, which was their 24th straight at home dating back to last season. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Harper Creek, their victory bumped their record up to 16-11.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
