The Watertown Purple Tigers will head out to take on the DeKalb County Tigers at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Thursday, Watertown made easy work of Jackson County and carried off an 11-1 win. The Purple Tigers haven't had any issues with the Blue Devils recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.
Avery Taylor made a big impact no matter where she played. She pitched five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season.
Harlie Phillips
| 04/24/25 vs Jackson County | 5 |
| 04/14/25 vs York Institute | 3 |
| 04/08/25 @ Cannon County | 3 |
| 03/13/25 vs Monterey | 3 |
| 05/08/24 vs Smith County | 3 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Harlie Phillips, who went 2-for-3 with five RBI and one double. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Zoey Thomas, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs.
Meanwhile, DeKalb County had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Jets a 19-0 shutout. The Tigers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Like Watertown, DeKalb County also got a great game from a two-way player: Kora Kilgore. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Kilgore was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, DeKalb County got a massive performance out of Rylee Wilbur, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Another player making a difference was Bryna Pelham, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles.
DeKalb County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .769. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
DeKalb County's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-6. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Watertown, their record is now 12-8.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Watertown has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .469. However, it's not like DeKalb County struggles in that department as they've averaged .463. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Watertown skirted past DeKalb County 4-3 in their previous matchup back in March of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Purple Tigers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
