Pigeon Forge had lost six straight at home, but on Thursday they dropped down to 3-20 to make it seven. They lost 14-3 to the Gatlinburg-Pittman Highlanders. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Highlanders this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 18-8 back in March.
Haydn Berry made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one triple and two RBI. That triple was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Alexa Marquez, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs and one stolen base.
As for Gatlinburg-Pittman, they moved to 4-11 with that victory, which also ended their seven-game losing streak. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for they considering their one-run performance the matchup before.
On Gatlinburg-Pittman's side, Ryleigh Mercogliano was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits. Mercogliano was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March of 2025.
In other batting news, Gatlinburg-Pittman let Apryle Yazel and Brooke Maples run wild. Yazel went 2-for-4 with four stolen bases, three runs, and one double, while Maples went 2-for-3 with five stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Those five stolen bases gave Maples a new career-high. Ashlynn Kunkle was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.
While Pigeon Forge had to take the loss, they won't have to wait long to give it another shot: the pair's next game is a rematch scheduled at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
