Watertown hasn't had much luck against Harrisburg recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Arrows will venture away from home to challenge the Tigers at 5:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Watertown fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Tea on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell 20-17 to the Titans. On the bright side, the 17- run effort marked the Arrows' highest-scoring contest to date.
Aleia Johnston and Kodi Lund did some serious damage despite the final result: Johnston went 5-for-6 with six RBI, three runs, and one stolen base, while Lund went 4-for-6 with one home run, four runs, and three RBI. Johnston also hit a double, marking her first of the season. Ellie Hirsch was another key player, going 2-for-6 with two runs and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Harrisburg faced Brookings in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. The Tigers were the clear victors by a 12-6 margin over the Bobcats. The win was nothing new for the Tigers as they're now sitting on six straight.
Kylie Visker spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up 11 Ks. Those 11 strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.
On the hitting side, Harrisburg got a massive performance out of Ava Gross, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and one double. That's the most runs Gross has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Madelyn Ducheneaux, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Harrisburg kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits every time they've taken the field this season.
Harrisburg pushed their record up to 6-1 with the victory, which was their 14th straight on the road dating back to last season. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.1 runs over those games. As for Watertown, they now have a losing record of 2-3.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Watertown hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 1 home runs per game. However, it's not like Harrisburg struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.6 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Watertown couldn't quite get it done against Harrisburg when the teams last played back in May of 2024 as they fell 5-2. Can the Arrows avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
