The Greenville Yellow Jackets will venture away from home to face off against the Allendale Falcons at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday. Greenville is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.
Sparta hit Greenville with a 11-run seventh inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Yellow Jackets fell just short of the Spartans by a score of 19-18. The Yellow Jackets have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Brooke Lindquist and Alexa Hyler did some serious damage despite the final result: Lindquist went a perfect 5-for-5 with two triples, five RBI, and three runs, while Hyler went 3-for-5 with five runs, two triples, and four RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Aubrie Uebele, who went 4-for-6 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.
Meanwhile, Allendale was not the first on the board on Tuesday, but they got there more often. They won by a run and slipped past Coopersville 18-17. The game was the first time the Falcons have beaten the Broncos on their field since April 13, 2021.
Bailey Scholma was a major factor no matter where she played. She tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Lexie Gunter was a standout: she went 3-for-5 with five RBI, three runs, and three doubles. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. Megan Genuise was another key player, going a perfect 5-for-5 with three RBI, two doubles, and one run.
Allendale kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 19 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Allendale has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.4 runs over those games. As for Greenville, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-7.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Greenville hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .340. However, it's not like Allendale struggles in that department as they've averaged .389. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Greenville might still be hurting after the 11-1 loss they got from Allendale in their previous matchup back in May of 2016. Can the Yellow Jackets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
