The Shelby Whippets will head out to face off against the Lexington Minutemen at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Shelby comes in on eight and Lexington on seven.
Shelby took a 13-run defeat the last time they faced off against Ashland, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Whippets sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 victory over the Arrows on Saturday. That's two games straight that the Whippets have won by just one run.
Jadyn Bowman spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on six hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Shelby saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Natalie Kennard, who went 1-for-4 with one triple and one RBI. That triple was Kennard's first of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Lexington). They put the hurt on Norwayne with a sharp 18-6 win on Saturday. The result was nothing new for the Minutemen, who have now won five contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Makaree Chapman made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Chapman was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Alexis Cantrell and Kylie Thornton did most of the damage at the plate: Cantrell scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances, while Thornton scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Addy Williams, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Shelby's record now sits at 11-3. As for Lexington, their record is now 8-1.
Monday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Shelby hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .355. However, it's not like Lexington struggles in that department as they've averaged .329. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Shelby might still be hurting after the 7-1 loss they got from Lexington when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Whippets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
