The Jay County Patriots will square off against the Eastbrook Panthers at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Jay County is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Jay County had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 14-run drubbing they dealt St. Henry on Monday. The Patriots were the clear victors by a 15-1 margin over the Redskins. The Patriots might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matches by ten runs or more this season.
Jaelynn Lykins was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two RBI, and one double. She also scored a run, marking her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Hallie Schwieterman, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Jay County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .588. The last time their OBP was this high was back in May of 2024.
Meanwhile, Eastbrook suffered their closest defeat since May 11, 2024 on Saturday. They fell just short of Lakeland by a score of 6-4.
Gracie Elliott was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one double. Averie Stephenson was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Jay County's win was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-0. The team's perfect season has a lot to do with their hitting performance: the team's won by an average of 8.9 runs thus far. As for Eastbrook, their loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 3-2.
Jay County's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's game. The Patriots have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Eastbrook, though, as they've been averaging only 0.4 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Jay County continue to outrun the ball?
Everything went Jay County's way against Eastbrook in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Jay County made off with a 15-0 victory. Will the Patriots repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
