The West Ridge Wolves will face off against the Unaka Rangers at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. West Ridge is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.1 runs per game this season.
On Monday, West Ridge earned a 6-3 victory over Jefferson County.
Miranda Henley spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on eight hits and racked up 11 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Lacey Fugate was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Nila Horne, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
West Ridge was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .394. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Jefferson County only posted a batting average of .214.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 17 runs the game before, Unaka was a bit more limited in their contest on Monday. They lost 11-1 to Elizabethton. The loss continues a trend for the Rangers in their meetings with the Fighting Cyclones: they've now lost five in a row.
Unaka saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kelsey Pasquale, who went 1-for-2 with one double.
West Ridge's win was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-2. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Unaka, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-2.
Both West Ridge and Unaka just can't seem to miss. The Wolves have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.9 hits per game. However, it's not like Unaka struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.2 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
West Ridge couldn't quite get it done against Unaka in their previous meeting back in March of 2022 as they fell 7-2. Can the Wolves avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
