The Morristown-Hamblen West Trojans will venture away from home to take on the Grainger Grizzlies at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, Morristown-Hamblen West made easy work of Daniel Boone and carried off a 10-2 victory. Considering the Trojans have won three matchups by more than seven runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Briony Bunsic
| 04/04/25 vs Daniel Boone | 7 |
| 04/03/25 @ Jefferson County | 9 |
| 03/18/25 @ Sevier County | 10 |
| 03/13/25 vs Jefferson County | 9 |
Briony Bunsic spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on six hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Morristown-Hamblen West let Kara Dyke and Cadence Beaver run wild. Dyke went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two doubles, while Beaver scored three runs while going 3-for-4. Those doubles marked the first that Dyke hit this season. Another player making a difference was Kaylynn Milton, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Morristown-Hamblen West was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Grainger waltzed into their contest on Friday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They walked away with a 9-4 win over the Mavericks. While the Grizzlies didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-11), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Destanee Davis spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on six hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jaylee Nickell, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. The team also got some help courtesy of McKenna Kee, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
The victory made it two in a row for Morristown-Hamblen West and bumps their season record up to 4-5. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 6 runs in those games. As for Grainger, their record now sits at 8-2.
Monday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Morristown-Hamblen West hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .318. However, it's not like Grainger struggles in that department as they've averaged .386. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Morristown-Hamblen West couldn't quite get it done against Grainger when the teams last played back in March of 2015 as they fell 7-2. Can the Trojans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
