Mitchell is 0-10 against Madison since April of 2019 but things could change on Tuesday. The Mountaineers will be playing at home against the Patriots at 4:30 p.m. Mitchell has given up an average of 11.4 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Mitchell came up short against Owen two weeks ago, falling 18-3.
Mitchell saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Grace Willis, who went 1-for-2 with one home run and three RBI.
Meanwhile, Madison waltzed into their contest on Monday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They beat the Tigers by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 8-7. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Patriots have posted against the Tigers since April 21, 2022.
Carrie Gunter made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out 16 batters over seven innings while giving up six earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. Those 16 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one run and one double.
In other batting news, Addie Sams and Kylee Ball did most of the damage at the plate: Sams went 2-for-3 with two runs and one double, while Ball got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one run and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Paige Peek, who earned two runs and one stolen base.
Madison hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in three consecutive games.
Madison pushed their record up to 8-3 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Mitchell, their loss dropped their record down to 5-9.
Both Mitchell and Madison just can't seem to miss. The Mountaineers have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.1 hits per game. However, it's not like Madison struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.2 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mitchell suffered a grim 18-0 defeat to Madison when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Mountaineers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
