The Stillwater Ponies will head out on the road to square off against the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
While Stillwater's victory against Mounds View wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Ponies sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-4 win over the Mustangs on Friday. The victory continues a trend for the Ponies in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now won six in a row.
Ella Weisser tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 15 over ten innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single earned run any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Autumn Lettner, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-5. She also brought in two RBI, marking her first of the season. Katie Lunan was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-5.
Stillwater kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Cretin-Derham Hall and White Bear Lake meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Friday. The Raiders had just enough and edged out the Bears 3-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Raiders have posted against the Bears since May 15, 2018.
Brooke Nesdahl was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Nesdahl was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one home run.
In other batting news, Camille Castro was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two runs. That's the most runs she has posted since back in May of 2024.
Cretin-Derham Hall now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Stillwater, their record is now 3-1.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Monday. Stillwater hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Cretin-Derham Hall struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Stillwater came out on top in a nail-biter against Cretin-Derham Hall in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, sneaking past 5-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Ponies since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
