The Havana Ducks are taking a road trip to take on the PORTA/Ashland-Chandlerville Central Bluejays at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Havana will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each match than the last.
On Wednesday, Havana got the win against West Prairie by a conclusive 15-2. The Ducks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 12 contests by six runs or more this season.
The team relied heavily on Kaydi Miller, who fired off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-4. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Maddie Howerter, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, two RBI, and one double.
Havana always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .545. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, after low-scoring totals in their previous three match, PORTA/Ashland-Chandlerville Central brought some dynamite into their most recent contest. They never let Hartsburg-Emden get on the board and left with a 19-0 win on Tuesday. The Bluejays' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Mackenzie Miller was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Miller was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season.
In other batting news, PORTA/Ashland-Chandlerville Central let Aubrey Vogel and Avery Sergent run wild. Vogel went a perfect 4-for-4 with two triples, two runs, and two RBI, while Sergent went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, three doubles, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaydence Hamm, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI.
Havana is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-3-1 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for PORTA/Ashland-Chandlerville Central, their record now sits at 9-11.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Havana hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .374. However, it's not like PORTA/Ashland-Chandlerville Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .325. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Havana beat PORTA/Ashland-Chandlerville Central 6-2 in their previous matchup back in May of 2023. Will the Ducks repeat their success, or do the Bluejays have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
