Naylor hasn't had much luck against Holcomb recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Eagles will venture away from home to take on the Hornets at 4:30 p.m.
Thursday just wasn't the day for Naylor's offense. They came up short against Van Buren on Thursday, falling 6-0.
Meanwhile, Holcomb made easy work of Gideon on Friday and carried off an 18-2 victory. The Hornets might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven games by nine runs or more this season.
Jaxsten Pikey made a splash no matter where he played. He pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Bryce McNabb, who fired off two home runs, four runs, and three RBI while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. That's the most home runs he has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Sam Jacobs, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, two RBI, and one double.
Holcomb was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .667. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Holcomb has been performing well recently as they've won nine of their last 11 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-8 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.7 runs over those games. As for Naylor, they now have a losing record of 8-9.
Monday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Naylor has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .438. However, it's not like Holcomb struggles in that department as they've averaged .443. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Naylor suffered a grim 13-1 defeat to Holcomb in their previous meeting back in May of 2025. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
