The Cumberland County Jets will take on the Grundy County Yellowjackets at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Cumberland County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.6 runs per game this season.
Cumberland County made up a huge gap compared to their last game against York Institute, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Jets blew past the Dragons 18-8 on Wednesday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Jets needed considering they were shut out in their previous game.
Raylynn Adams and Lillyonah Rice did most of the damage at the plate: Adams scored three runs and stole four bases while going 3-for-4, while Rice went 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Those runs marked the first that Adams scored this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Anamarie RIo, who scored four runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
They weren't the only one making solid contact: Cumberland County kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 3.6 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 9.
Meanwhile, Grundy County was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their 24th straight loss dating back to last season. They fell 10-6 to Huntland. On the bright side, the six- run effort marked the Yellowjackets' highest-scoring match to date.
Alice Merrell and Addison Shrum stepped up to the plate in a big way. Merrell went 1-for-3 with one home run, while Shrum scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Hallee Morris was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2.
Cumberland County's win bumped their record up to 3-7. As for Grundy County, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-8.
Grundy County's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Cumberland County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .313. It's a different story for Grundy County, though, as they've only averaged .156. Will they be able to contain Cumberland County's hitters?
Cumberland County skirted past Grundy County 7-5 in their previous matchup back in April of 2021. Will the Jets repeat their success, or do the Yellowjackets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
