McMinn Central is 0-10 against Tellico Plains since April of 2019 but things could change on Monday. The Chargers will welcome the Bears at 5:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (McMinn Central has three straight wins, Tellico Plains has five straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
McMinn Central's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They walked away with a 3-0 victory over Meigs County.
Lauren Peterson made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base and one RBI.
In other batting news, Riley Thompson was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Kara Duckett, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base.
McMinn Central hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Tellico Plains came up short against Meigs County on Tuesday and fell 7-4. That's two games in a row now that the Bears have lost by exactly three runs.
Isabella Wright stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: she fired off two home runs while going 2-for-3. She also brought in two RBI, marking her first of the season. Addison Joines was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run.
McMinn Central pushed their record up to 9-6 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.7 runs over those games. As for Tellico Plains, their loss dropped their record down to 2-7.
Tellico Plains' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: McMinn Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .324. It's a different story for Tellico Plains, though, as they've only averaged .230. Will they be able to contain McMinn Central's hitters?
McMinn Central came up short against Tellico Plains in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, falling 7-3. Can the Chargers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
