Apple Springs hasn't had much luck against Chester recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Eagles are taking a road trip to challenge the Yellowjackets at 4:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Chester will be up against a hot Apple Springs team: the squad just extended their winning streak to five. The Eagles put the hurt on Neches with a sharp 12-2 victory last Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won nine games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Faith Smith
| 04/07/26 vs Neches | 6 |
| 03/31/26 vs Neches | 5 |
| 03/13/26 vs Douglass | 13 |
| 03/10/26 vs Cushing | 5 |
| 02/24/26 vs Mt. Enterprise | 10 |
| + 2 more games |
Faith Smith made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off six hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Abrie McWhorter, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Brilynn Hicks, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Apple Springs hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Neches struck out six times.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Chester). Everything went their way against Zavalla on Friday as they made off with a 25-9 win.
Like Apple Springs, Chester also got a great game from a two-way player: Allie Ogden. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the most strikeouts Ogden has posted since back in February. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI.
In other batting news, Chester got a massive performance out of Lillie Byrd, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with three runs and three RBI. Those three RBI gave Byrd a new career-high. Tegan Toler was another key player, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with four runs and one RBI.
Apple Springs' record now sits at 10-7-1. As for Chester, their record is now 6-14-1.
Apple Springs suffered a grim 16-1 defeat to Chester in their previous matchup back in March of 2023. Can the Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
