The Appalachian Eagles are taking a road trip to square off against the Pennington Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Appalachian is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last four games.
Appalachian is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Everything went their way against Spring Garden on Tuesday as they made off with a 15-5 victory. Considering the Eagles have won four games by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Appalachian got a massive performance out of Charlie Payne, who fired off two home runs, three runs, and four RBI while going 2-for-3. Payne continues to improve, besting her previous run total in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Graci McGuire, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles.
Appalachian hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Pennington came up short against Hanceville on Tuesday and fell 5-1. That's two games in a row now that the Tigers have lost by exactly four runs.
Pennington saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ari Cruz, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base.
Appalachian's win bumped their record up to 6-3. As for Pennington, their defeat was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 6-5.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Appalachian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .479. However, it's not like Pennington struggles in that department as they've averaged .502. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Appalachian got the 'W' when the teams last played back in April of 2025 against Pennington by a conclusive 12-1 score. Will the Eagles repeat their success, or do the Tigers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
