Plainview-Elgin-Millville hasn't had much luck against Chatfield recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Bulldogs will look to defend their home field against the Gophers at 4:00 p.m. Plainview-Elgin-Millville has given up an average of 10 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Tuesday just wasn't the day for Plainview-Elgin-Millville's offense. They came up short against Cotter on Tuesday, falling 18-0. That's two games in a row now that the Bulldogs have lost by exactly 18 runs.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Chatfield, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Pine Island 14-13. The high-scoring effort was just what the Gophers needed considering they were shut out in their previous contest.
Katryn Johnson made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and three unearned) runs off eight hits. Johnson was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with three RBI and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Makenna Dornack, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Brynn Horsman, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, one double, and one RBI.
Chatfield kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Chatfield pushed their record up to 9-1 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Plainview-Elgin-Millville, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 2-8.
Plainview-Elgin-Millville might still be hurting after the 13-2 defeat they got from Chatfield in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Bulldogs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
