The Eastern Wayne Warriors will face off against the Douglas Byrd Eagles at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Eastern Wayne's last matchup with North Johnston could've gone either way, but unfortunately the same can't be said for the pair's contest on Monday. The Warriors lost 10-3 to the Panthers. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Warriors, who until this matchup were averaging 3.92 runs allowed.
Eastern Wayne saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Mallory Reed, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Douglas Byrd was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They came up short against E.E. Smith, falling 23-10. Even if the Eagles couldn't come away with the victory, the high-scoring effort was a great turnaround for their hitters, which had struggled int the games prior.
Zaniah Pearsall and Savanna Byrd did some serious damage despite the final result: Pearsall got on base in all three of her plate appearances with three stolen bases and three runs, while Byrd went 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. That home run was Byrd's first of the season. Zayla Cox was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Douglas Byrd's loss dropped their record down to 4-9. As for Eastern Wayne, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Eastern Wayne has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Douglas Byrd struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 14.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Eastern Wayne's way against Douglas Byrd when the teams last played back in March, as Eastern Wayne made off with a 17-0 win. Will the Warriors repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
