The Union Yellowjackets will challenge the Leake Central Gators at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The timing is sure in Union's favor as the team sits on four straight wins at home while Leake Central has been banged up by 17 consecutive losses on the road dating back to last season.
While Union's victory against Sebastopol wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Yellowjackets sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-6 win over the Bobcats on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Yellowjackets have posted since March 3rd.
The team relied heavily on Austin Lee, who scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Rafe Manning, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Leake Central never got on the board in their matchup last Tuesday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Leake County last Tuesday. They blew past Leake County 16-4. Considering Leake Central's hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Jadarius Mitchell made a splash while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over four innings pitched. Mitchell was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two RBI.
In other batting news, Kristian Carson was a standout: he got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. He is becoming a predictor of Leake Central's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 2-1 (and 1-11 when he doesn't). Justin Triplett was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, one triple, and one run.
Leake Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .742. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Union's win bumped their record up to 15-8. As for Leake Central, their victory bumped their record up to 3-12.
Everything went Union's way against Leake Central when the teams last played back in February of 2024, as Union made off with a 16-0 win. Will the Yellowjackets repeat their success, or do the Gators have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
