The Grafton Bearcats will face off against the North Marion Huskies at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Grafton took a nine-run loss the last time they faced off against Lincoln, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Grafton narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Lincoln 6-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Bearcats have posted since April 19, 2024.
Lillie Crimm spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and three unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up 13 Ks. Those hits marked the first that she allowed this season.
At the plate, Grafton saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Lydia Wildroudt, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. Wildroudt also brought in an RBI, marking her first of the season.
Meanwhile, North Marion made easy work of East Fairmont on Monday and carried off an 11-3 win. The victory continues a trend for the Huskies in their matchups with the Bees: they've now won six in a row.
Rayden Satterfield made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits (and not a single walk). Furthermore, she didn't allow a single walk, the first time she has blanked an opponent since back in April of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one home run and two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brooke Toothman, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kinlee Hess, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
North Marion lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as East Fairmont didn't launched any home runs.
North Marion now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Grafton, the win got them back to even at 2-2.
Grafton came out on top in a nail-biter against North Marion when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 3-1. Will Grafton repeat their success, or does North Marion has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
