Grove City hasn't had much luck against Jamestown recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Eagles will head out to take on the Muskies at 4:00 p.m. Grove City is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.7 runs per game this season.
If Grove City beats Jamestown with eight runs on Friday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. The Eagles walked away with an 8-3 victory over Slippery Rock on Thursday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Eagles.
The team relied heavily on Remi Stillwagon, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one triple. Autumn Cook also deserves some recognition as she launched her first home run of the season.
They weren't the only ones working in the home run department: Grove City lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Jamestown ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Franklin 9-7. The victory was familiar territory for the Muskies, who have now won four matches in a row.
Miranda Biles made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out 15 batters over eight innings while giving up five earned (and two unearned) runs off 12 hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 4-for-5 with one run, one double, and one RBI. Those four hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Grace Wingard and Kinlie Kirila did most of the damage at the plate: Wingard went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI, while Kirila got on base in four of her five plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That's the most runs Wingard has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Hannah Scriven, who went 3-for-5 with two RBI and one double.
Jamestown's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-4. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Grove City, their record is now 7-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Grove City has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Jamestown struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Grove City beat Jamestown 6-3 in their previous meeting back in April. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
