The Highland Fighting Scots will take on the Licking Valley Panthers at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Highland comes in on four and Licking Valley on nine.
Highland is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They put the hurt on London with a sharp 14-2 victory.
Lydia Shaffer spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on five hits and racked up eight Ks.
At the plate, Saylor Squires was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. That's the most doubles she has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Braylin Romshak, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Highland kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. They are 11-2 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, while Licking Valley put up plenty of runs on Thursday, the same can't be said for Bishop Ready. The Panthers were the clear victors by a 14-0 margin over the Silver Knights. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 14 matches by six runs or more this season.
Emory Whisner made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in 14 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Licking Valley got a massive performance out of Dani Lambert, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Tori Baughman, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs.
Licking Valley pushed their record up to 20-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Highland, their record now sits at 15-9.
Both Highland and Licking Valley just can't seem to miss. The Fighting Scots have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.1 hits per game. However, it's not like Licking Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 3.7 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Highland beat Licking Valley 9-4 in their previous meeting back in March. Do the Fighting Scots have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
