The Mercy Jaguars will square off against the Oldham County Colonels at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
While Mercy's win against North Oldham wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Jaguars won by a run and slipped past the Mustangs 8-7. The Jaguars haven't had any issues with the Mustangs recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Lyla Ballou looked comfortable as she pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Ava Reinhart, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Haley Rupe was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Oldham County had already won eight in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.1 runs) and they went ahead and made it nine on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 11-9 win over the Dragons.
Jozie Lashley made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits (and not a single walk). Lashley was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Aubrey Batts was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. She also snagged a stolen base, marking her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Natalie Cheatham, who scored two runs and stole four bases while going 2-for-4.
Mercy's victory was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-5. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.2 runs on average over those games. As for Oldham County, their victory bumped their record up to 15-1.
Mercy skirted past Oldham County 4-3 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Do the Jaguars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Colonels turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
