The Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington Blue Jays will square off against the Paint Valley Bearcats at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington came into their game on Wednesday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They came up short against Fayetteville-Perry, falling 7-1.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday Paint Valley's undefeated season almost came to an end. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past North Adams 7-5. While the Bearcats didn't have the best season last year (they finished 3-20), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Kasarah Cantrell was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed seven innings while giving up five earned runs off 11 hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sophia Stauffer, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and two stolen bases. Stauffer is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: she's snagged at least one every time she's taken the field this season. Another player making a difference was Kyla Littler, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.
Paint Valley's win was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-0. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 10.5 runs this season. As for Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington, they now have a losing record of 2-3.
Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington couldn't quite get it done against Paint Valley in their previous matchup back in April of 2023 as they fell 13-10. Will the Blue Jays have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
