The Cross Stingrays will take on the Whale Branch Warriors at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Whale Branch will be up against a hot Cross squad: the team just extended their winning streak to four. Everything went Cross' way against Hilton Head Christian Academy on Wednesday as Cross made off with a 20-1 win. The Stingrays might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four games by six runs or more this season.
Savannah Hollings made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed two innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Sydney Hollings was a standout: she scored three runs and stole six bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Gracie Shultzman, who scored three runs and stole four bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Cross was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .303 or higher in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Whale Branch came into Tuesday's match having lost six straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They put the hurt on Lake Marion with a sharp 42-33 victory on Tuesday. The Warriors' offense finally found a way to get into gear: the high-octane performance was a 180-degree turn from their last three games.
Sylise Edwards was a standout: she got on base in six of her eight plate appearances with four runs, two triples, and two stolen bases. She also put up five RBI, which were her first of the season. Ny'Asia Jackson was another key player, scoring seven runs and stealing eight bases while getting on base in all eight of her plate appearances.
Cross' win bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Whale Branch, their victory was their first in the region, bumping their region record up to 1-4 and their overall record up to 2-6.
Whale Branch's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Cross hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .367. It's a different story for Whale Branch, though, as they've only averaged .208. Will they be able to contain Cross' hitters?
Everything went Cross' way against Whale Branch when the teams last played back in April of 2023, as Cross made off with a 20-4 win. Does Cross have another victory up their sleeve, or will Whale Branch turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
