Smoky Mountain's game last Thursday was a tough loss, but they didn't let that memory haunt them on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Tuscola Mountaineers a 5-0 shutout. For Smoky Mountain, this counts as revenge for the 17-4 loss Tuscola walked away with the last time they faced one another back in May of 2023.
Not much got past Addie Mull, who gave up just three hits and racked up nine Ks to keep Tuscola off the board. Mull has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Abby Branning was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-3. Kaitlyn Taquette was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
On Tuscola's side, Addi Sampson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up eight Ks.
On the hitting side, Tuscola saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Alexis Markos, who went 1-for-2 with a stolen base.
Smoky Mountain is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a massive bump to their 4-6 record this season. As for Tuscola, they dropped their record down to 4-8 with that defeat, which was their fourth straight at home.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Smoky Mountain will take on Murphy at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Murphy will roll in looking for their ninth straight win, something Smoky Mountain surely won't give up without a fight. As for Tuscola, their homestand will continue as they prepare to take on Franklin at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
