The Fairfield Lions will venture away from home to face off against the Manchester Greyhounds at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Fairfield is coming into the match hot, having won their last seven games.
On Wednesday, Fairfield earned a 6-2 win over Lynchburg-Clay.
Rilee Quickle was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Quickle was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Carly Sanders, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two RBI, and one double. Another player making a difference was Jobey Hattan, who scored two runs while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, Manchester made easy work of Augusta on Wednesday and carried off a 16-3 victory. The Greyhounds might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by 11 runs or more this season.
Like Fairfield, Manchester also got a great game from a two-way player: Rylie Young. On the mound, Young struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Jadelyn Conley tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Young has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. At bat, Young scored a run while going 1-for-1, while Conley scored two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. Those two runs gave Conley a new career-high.
In other batting news, Bristynn McClanahan was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Abby Neria also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
Manchester always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .818. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Fairfield's win was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 10.0 runs this season. As for Manchester, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-1.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Fairfield hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .370. However, it's not like Manchester struggles in that department as they've averaged .408. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Fairfield was able to grind out a solid victory over Manchester in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, winning 12-8. Will the Lions repeat their success, or do the Greyhounds have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
