Hayes is a perfect 10-0 against Big Walnut since April of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Pacers will host the Golden Eagles at 5:15 p.m. Hayes is coming into the game hot, having won their last ten games.
Hayes proved they can win big on Tuesday (they won by 11) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against West Jefferson, sneaking past 4-2.
Zee Brown
| 04/16/25 @ West Jefferson | 3 |
| 04/09/25 vs Westerville South | 1 |
| 04/03/25 vs Westerville North | 1 |
| 04/01/25 vs Jonathan Alder | 1 |
| 03/25/25 vs Central Crossing | 1 |
The team relied heavily on Zee Brown, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and one double. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Madison Curran was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Big Walnut). They put the hurt on Westland with a sharp 27-2 win on Wednesday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Golden Eagles needed considering they were shut out in their previous matchup.
Ellie Crotty was incredible, going 4-for-5 with seven RBI, four runs, and two triples. Another player making a difference was Katelyn Boudinot, who went 4-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple.
Big Walnut always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .795. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Hayes' victory was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 12-1. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.4 runs on average over those games. As for Big Walnut, they moved to 6-6 with that victory, which also ended their three-game losing streak.
Big Walnut's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hayes has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.2 hits per game. It's a different story for Big Walnut, though, as they've been averaging 9.5 hits. Given Hayes' sizable advantage in that area, the Golden Eagles will need to find a way to close that gap.
Hayes came out on top in a nail-biter against Big Walnut in their previous meeting two weeks ago, sneaking past 5-4. Do the Pacers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Golden Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
