Grafton is a perfect 10-0 against Preston since May of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Bearcats will head out on the road to challenge the Knights at 5:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Grafton has five straight wins, Preston has four straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Grafton will bounce into Thursday's game after beating Philip Barbour, who they had gone 0-9 against in their nine prior meetings. The Bearcats put the hurt on the Colts with a sharp 7-1 victory on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Bearcats, who have now won five contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Lillie Crimm
| 04/01/25 vs Philip Barbour | 14 |
| 03/29/25 vs Berkeley Springs | 12 |
| 03/27/25 @ Fairmont Senior | 12 |
| 03/25/25 vs North Marion | 14 |
| 03/24/25 vs Lincoln | 13 |
| 03/22/25 vs Buckhannon-Upshur | 14 |
Lillie Crimm spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on two hits and racked up 14 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than 12 strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Chelsea Mauller was excellent, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double. That stolen base marked the first that she snagged this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Shyann Trimble, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Wednesday just wasn't the day for Preston's offense. They came up short against University on Wednesday, falling 15-0.
Grafton's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-2. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Preston, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-5.
Preston's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Grafton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 12.5 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Preston, though, as they've been averaging only 4 strikeouts. Will Grafton keep running through batters, or will the Knights buck the trend?
Grafton beat Preston 4-0 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bearcats since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
