The Union Area Scotties will face off against the Jeannette Jayhawks on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Union Area 2.5, Jeannette 3.1) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Union Area can't be too worried about heading out to take on Jeannette: they just beat Chartiers-Houston at home, who had been dominant on their own field up to that point. The Scotties had just enough and edged out the Buccaneers 9-7.
Union Area got a big performance out of Maggie Joseph, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. That's the most RBI Joseph has posted since back in April. Olivia Benedict was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Union Area 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 three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Jeannette had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They never let Bishop Canevin get on the board and left with a 10-0 win on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Jayhawks, who have now won nine contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Grace Stein made a splash while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 16 over six innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.
In other batting news, Josie Shaw was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Reese Brennen, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one double.
Union Area's victory was their eighth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-2. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Jeannette, their victory bumped their record up to 12-4.
Both Union Area and Jeannette just can't seem to miss. The Scotties have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.9 hits per game. However, it's not like Jeannette struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 3.9 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Union Area's way against Jeannette in their previous meeting back in May of 2025, as Union Area made off with a 10-0 win. Will the Scotties repeat their success, or do the Jayhawks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
