The McMinn Central Chargers are taking a road trip to square off against the Ooltewah Owls at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. McMinn Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.7 runs per game this season.
On Wednesday, McMinn Central didn't have quite enough to beat Tellico Plains and fell 7-6. The Chargers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Lauren Peterson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and three unearned) runs on seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, McMinn Central saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Josie Grueber, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. Lily Graves was another, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Ooltewah got the win against Sale Creek on Wednesday by a conclusive 11-3. Considering the Owls have won 18 games by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Emmerson Reed was a major factor no matter where she played. She tossed six innings while giving up three earned runs off seven hits. What's more, she posted four strikeouts, the most she's had since back in March. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kaylin Leblanc, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. What's more, she posted two RBI, the most she's had since back in March. Another player making a difference was Kaleigh Balla, who scored two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Ooltewah has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 15 of their last 17 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 21-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for McMinn Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-8.
Both McMinn Central and Ooltewah just can't seem to miss. The Chargers have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.3 hits per game. However, it's not like Ooltewah struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.5 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
McMinn Central beat Ooltewah 10-5 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will the Chargers repeat their success, or do the Owls have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
