The T.L. Hanna Yellow Jackets will venture away from home to square off against the J.L. Mann Patriots at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. T.L. Hanna's pitching crew has only allowed 3.1 runs per game this season, so J.L. Mann's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
T.L. Hanna took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They came out on top against Woodmont by a score of 6-1 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game). The win continues a trend for the Yellow Jackets in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won four in a row.
Reece Oakley
| 04/04/25 vs Woodmont | 1 |
| 03/25/25 @ Hillcrest | 2 |
| 03/18/25 vs Mauldin | 1 |
| 03/13/25 vs Chapman | 0 |
Reece Oakley looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Phifer Glenn and Will Craddock did most of the damage at the plate: Glenn went 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI, while Craddock went 1-for-3 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Meanwhile, J.L. Mann hadn't done well against Hillcrest recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Patriots put the hurt on the Rams with a sharp 7-0 victory. Considering the Patriots have won five matches by more than six runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Not much got past Josh Carlson, who gave up just a hit to keep Hillcrest off the board. Carlson also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because J.L. Mann is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 5-6 otherwise.
At the plate, J.L. Mann let McLeod Darnell and Ashley Shiffer run wild. Darnell went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI, while Shiffer went 1-for-2 with one home run and two runs. That's the most runs Shiffer has posted since back in February. Griffin King was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run.
J.L. Mann lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
T.L. Hanna pushed their record up to 12-3 with the win, which was their eighth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.6 runs over those games. As for J.L. Mann, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight games. That's provided a massive bump to their 10-6 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. T.L. Hanna has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like J.L. Mann struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
T.L. Hanna skirted past J.L. Mann 3-2 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will the Yellow Jackets repeat their success, or do the Patriots have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
