The Williamsburg Wildcats will take on the Miami East Vikings at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Williamsburg is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They put the hurt on Madeira with a sharp 14-3 win. The victory was nothing new for the Wildcats as they're now sitting on eight straight.
Gracie Graves made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 12 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
In other batting news, Williamsburg got a massive performance out of MaKenzie Shoemake, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Kaylynn Anderkin, who went 3-for-5 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last matchup, Miami East made sure to put some runs up on the board against Anna on Monday. The Vikings blew past the Rockets 12-4. The win was familiar territory for the Vikings, who have now won 13 games in a row.
Jacqueline Kadel spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on three hits and racked up 11 Ks.
At the plate, Jaila Thurman and Whitni Enis did most of the damage at the plate: Thurman fired off two home runs and four RBI while going 3-for-4, while Enis went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI Thurman has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Jorgia Roeth, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Miami East lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Miami East pushed their record up to 24-3 with the victory, which was their 15th straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.5 runs over those games. As for Williamsburg, their record now sits at 22-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Williamsburg has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Miami East struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Williamsburg suffered a grim 14-0 defeat to Miami East in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Wildcats avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
