The West Carroll War Eagles will head out to square off against the Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central Tigers at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
West Carroll will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Thursday, then bounced right back against Bradford on Friday. The War Eagles were the clear victors by a 15-2 margin over the Red Devils. Considering the War Eagles' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Karma Wilkey made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits (and not a single walk). Wilkey was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 5-for-5.
In other batting news, Presley Coleman and Haliey Mitchell did most of the damage at the plate: Coleman went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI, while Mitchell scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. That triple was Coleman's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Candy Mulligan, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central had already won ten in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 3.8 runs) and they went ahead and made it 11 on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Fighting Irish a 12-0 shutout.
Like West Carroll, Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central also got a great game from a two-way player: Madison Holder. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over five innings pitched. Holder was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two doubles and one RBI. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Keely Williams was incredible, going 1-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. Lilly McGee was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .548. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Houston County only posted an OBP of .167.
Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central pushed their record up to 14-2 with the victory, which was their seventh straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.1 runs over those games. As for West Carroll, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-6.
Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Monday. West Carroll has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.1 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central, though, as they've been averaging only 3.6 strikeouts. Will West Carroll keep running through batters, or will the Tigers buck the trend?
West Carroll suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Can the War Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
