The Hickory Hornets will face off against the McDowell Trojans at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Hickory's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Grove City 1-0. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Hornets.
The result came thanks to AJ Jarzab's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up 16 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in 11 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Hickory saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Layla McClung, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, McDowell's rock-solid pitcher showed up for the team's fifth consecutive shutout on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 12-0 margin over Erie. The Trojans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 contests by six runs or more this season.
Gabriella Deluca made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 17 over six innings pitched. Deluca was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two triples, and three runs. Those two triples gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Avya Mickel was incredible, going 1-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season. Alexandra Smith was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
McDowell always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .586. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Erie only posted an OBP of .190.
McDowell's victory was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 17-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.1 runs over those games. As for Hickory, the victory got them back to even at 9-9.
Hickory's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's matchup. The Hornets have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for McDowell, though, as they've been averaging only 1.1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Hickory continue to outrun the ball?
Hickory came out on top in a nail-biter against McDowell in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, sneaking past 4-2. Do the Hornets have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Trojans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
