The Princeton Tigers will venture away from home to square off against the Erie-Prophetstown Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Princeton is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.9 runs per game this season.
On Tuesday, Princeton made easy work of Newman Central Catholic and carried off an 8-2 victory. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four games by six runs or more this season.
Avah Oertel
| 04/22/25 vs Newman Central Catholic | 13 |
| 04/19/25 vs Monmouth-Roseville | 8 |
| 04/22/24 vs Bureau Valley | 7 |
| 05/15/24 @ Rock Falls | 6 |
| 05/07/24 vs Newark | 5 |
Avah Oertel was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 13 over seven innings pitched. Those 13 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two runs.
In other batting news, Ellie Harp was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Gracelynn Hansen, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Erie-Prophetstown duked it out with Princeton on Monday. The Panthers sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 10-9 win over the Tigers. Winning may never get old, but the Panthers sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
The team relied heavily on Alyssah Padia, who went 3-for-4 with three runs and two doubles. Kayler Pritchard was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Erie-Prophetstown was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .421. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .308 or higher in four consecutive contests.
Princeton's record now sits at 5-6. As for Erie-Prophetstown, their record is now 8-6.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Princeton hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .352. However, it's not like Erie-Prophetstown struggles in that department as they've averaged .324. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
