The Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs will face off against the Manchester Greyhounds at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Manchester will take on a team with plenty of momentum: Lynchburg-Clay extended their winning streak to six on Tuesday. The Mustangs' pitcher stepped up to hand West Union a 12-0 shutout.
Noel Barnhill
| 05/06/25 @ West Union | 4 |
| 04/24/25 vs Whiteoak | 3 |
| 04/22/25 @ Peebles | 3 |
| 03/26/25 @ Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington | 3 |
| 04/25/24 vs Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington | 3 |
Noel Barnhill made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 12 over 4.2 innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in eight consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. Those four hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Reese Ruble was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with two doubles, one stolen base, and two RBI. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Sadie Kuipers, who went 2-for-3 with one home run.
Lynchburg-Clay always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .531. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as West Union only posted an OBP of .118.
Meanwhile, Manchester had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Wildcats with a sharp 16-0 win.
Like Lynchburg-Clay, Manchester also got a great game from a two-way player: Rylie Young. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Young was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI.
In other batting news, Addilyn Hunter was excellent, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases and two runs. Elliana Applegate was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Lynchburg-Clay pushed their record up to 14-3 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for Manchester, their victory bumped their record up to 13-3.
Wednesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Lynchburg-Clay has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .435. However, it's not like Manchester struggles in that department as they've averaged .506. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lynchburg-Clay couldn't quite get it done against Manchester in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 as they fell 6-2. Will the Mustangs have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
