The Manchester Greyhounds will face off against the Fairfield Lions at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Fairfield will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: Manchester extended their winning streak to five on Thursday. The Greyhounds were the clear victors by a 17-4 margin over Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington.
Rylie Young
| 05/08/25 vs Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington | 4 |
| 05/06/25 vs Whiteoak | 3 |
| 04/28/25 @ Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington | 3 |
| 04/22/25 vs North Adams | 0 |
| 04/21/25 vs West Union | 3 |
| + 9 more games |
Rylie Young made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out 12 batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than ten strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with four runs and two RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Elliana Applegate, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Mahayla Brown, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Fairfield made easy work of West Union on Wednesday and carried off a 13-1 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Lions.
Like Manchester, Fairfield also got a great game from a two-way player: Rilee Quickle. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Quickle was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Jobey Hattan was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Kelsie Crowder was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, one double, and one RBI.
Fairfield was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .304 or higher in 12 consecutive matches.
Fairfield's win bumped their record up to 16-4. As for Manchester, their victory bumped their record up to 15-3.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Manchester hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .380. However, it's not like Fairfield struggles in that department as they've averaged .378. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Manchester came up short against Fairfield in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, falling 12-8. Can the Greyhounds avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
