The Yulee Hornets will head out to square off against the Bishop Kenny Crusaders at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Yulee's pitching crew has only allowed 2.8 runs per game this season, so Bishop Kenny's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Yulee is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 16-0 margin over Raines on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Hornets, who have now won seven contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Peyton Tharp and Ava Martyn did most of the damage at the plate: Tharp scored four runs and stole three bases while going 4-for-4, while Martyn scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. That's the most runs Martyn has posted since back in March. Ashlyn Soller was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Bishop Kenny unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell just short of Atlantic Coast by a score of 5-3.
Sophia Mulkey was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. On the mound, she struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off nine hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Ava Farnham made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one double.
The win made it two in a row for Yulee and bumps their season record up to 10-7-1. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 3 runs in those games. As for Bishop Kenny, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-12.
Yulee's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's matchup. The Hornets have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Bishop Kenny, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Yulee continue to outrun the ball?
Yulee skirted past Bishop Kenny 3-2 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Will the Hornets repeat their success, or do the Crusaders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
