East Union has won five straight games at home, while Myrtle has won five straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Tuesday. The Urchins will host the Hawks at 6:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
East Union had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the eight-run drubbing they dealt Ripley on Monday. The Urchins were the clear victors by a 13-5 margin over the Tigers.
Lily Kate Johnson was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up five earned runs off eight hits. Those eight strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI.
Caroline Sherwood
| 03/30/26 vs Ripley | 2 |
| 03/23/26 @ Myrtle | 1 |
| 03/23/26 vs New Albany | 1 |
| 03/19/26 @ Water Valley | 1 |
| 03/13/26 @ Booneville | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Caroline Sherwood, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and two RBI. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Ali Cooper was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
East Union kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in 11 consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Myrtle got the win against Vardaman on Monday by a conclusive 15-3.
Like East Union, Myrtle also got a great game from a two-way player: Ally Murphy. On the mound, Murphy tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Meanwhile, Brooklyn Streich pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Murphy has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances. At the plate, Murphy got on base in four of her five plate appearances with three runs, one triple, and two RBI, while Streich went 2-for-5 with one triple and one RBI.
In other batting news, Myrtle let Mary Ella Mayer and McKenzie Wise run wild. Mayer got on base in all five of her plate appearances with one home run, four RBI, and one double, while Wise got on base in all five of her plate appearances with four RBI, one triple, and one stolen base. Wise is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Khole Bennett, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Myrtle's win bumped their record up to 14-6. As for East Union, their victory bumped their record up to 16-3.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Tuesday. East Union hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. However, it's not like Myrtle struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.4 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
East Union got the 'W' in their previous matchup last Monday against Myrtle by a conclusive 13-0 score. Will the Urchins repeat their success, or do the Hawks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
