Sheridan is on a 12-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Malvern is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Yellowjackets will host the Leopards at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Sheridan is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9 runs per game this season.
Sheridan is headed into the matchup having just posted their closest win since April 1st on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Genoa Central 7-6.
Marly Lancaster and Mason Wilson did most of the damage at the plate: Lancaster went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double, while Wilson went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Averie Redd was another key player, earning two runs and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Malvern never let their opponents score on Tuesday. They blew past Bismarck 14-0. Considering the Leopards have won 15 games by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Kendall Watson made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single earned run in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Takayla Stewart, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one double. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Addi White, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs and two RBI.
Malvern always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .600 or higher in three consecutive contests.
Malvern is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Sheridan, their win bumped their record up to 15-4.
Both Sheridan and Malvern just can't seem to miss. The Yellowjackets have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.3 hits per game. However, it's not like Malvern struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.9 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Sheridan's way against Malvern in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Sheridan made off with a 14-4 victory. Do the Yellowjackets have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Leopards turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
