The Michigan Lutheran Titans are taking a road trip to square off against the Watervliet Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Michigan Lutheran is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.
Michigan Lutheran is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering River Valley just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Friday. They wound up with the same score they had in their last game (9-6), but sadly the team found themselves on the wrong side of the score this time.
Eli Halquist was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Addy Wetzel, who went 2-for-5 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Fans were treated to a battle of the Panthers on Thursday. Watervliet walked away with a 9-5 victory over Kellogg. The win made it back-to-back victories for Watervliet.
Mackenzie Birmele spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and four unearned) runs on nine hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Leila Liberto-Taylor, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Ava Trapp also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Michigan Lutheran's loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 5-1 and their overall record down to 10-8. As for Watervliet, their win bumped their record up to 9-10-1.
Watervliet's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Monday. Michigan Lutheran has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Watervliet, though, as they've been averaging only 3.8 strikeouts. Will Michigan Lutheran keep running through batters, or will the Panthers buck the trend? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
