The Grassfield Grizzlies are taking a road trip to square off against the Deep Creek Hornets at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday. Grassfield's pitching crew has only allowed 2.2 runs per game this season, so Deep Creek's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Grassfield is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Virginia's top teams: Hickory, who was ranked seventh at the time (Grassfield was ranked 20th). The Grizzlies took a 7-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Hawks on Wednesday.
EG Hatcher was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with one home run. Another player making a difference was Cydney Lafon, who went 1-for-4 with one home run.
Meanwhile, Deep Creek earned a 6-2 victory over Nansemond River on Tuesday. The win continues a trend for the Hornets in their matchups with the Warriors: they've now won four in a row.
Lilly B was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off seven hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Deep Creek let Bailey Cockrell and Hannah Liddell run wild. Cockrell went a perfect 3-for-3 with one run and one RBI, while Liddell went 1-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. That's the most RBI Liddell has posted since back in March.
Deep Creek hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Grassfield's defeat ended a 13-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 12-3. As for Deep Creek, their record now sits at 10-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Grassfield has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Deep Creek struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Grassfield came out on top in a nail-biter against Deep Creek when the teams last played back in May of 2024, sneaking past 1-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Grizzlies since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
