Hickory has gone 9-1 against Grove City recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Hornets will venture away from home to take on the Eagles at 4:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
On Monday, Hickory made easy work of Franklin and carried off an 11-1 victory. The win continues a trend for the Hornets in their matchups with the Knights: they've now won four in a row.
AJ Jarzab
| 05/12/25 @ Franklin | 3 |
| 05/07/25 vs Ellwood City | 2 |
| 04/22/25 vs Grove City | 2 |
| 04/15/25 vs Franklin | 2 |
| 05/01/25 vs Slippery Rock | 1 |
AJ Jarzab made a big impact no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in ten consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and one double. Those three hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Hickory let Emma Johnston and Layla McClung run wild. Johnston got on base in two of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs, while McClung went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Those three runs gave Johnston a new career-high.
Hickory hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Franklin struck out 12 times.
Meanwhile, Grove City had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 3 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Saturday. They put the hurt on the Oilers with a sharp 14-1 victory. The Eagles not only won on Saturday, but they posted their biggest win since April 9th (when they won 16-0).
Taylor Thompson made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits (and only one walk). Thompson was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, Grove City got a massive performance out of Lily Rihel, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. Kara Kirk was another key player, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles.
Grove City pushed their record up to 9-5 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. As for Hickory, their record now sits at 8-9.
Hickory's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's matchup. The Hornets have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Grove City, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Hickory continue to outrun the ball?
Hickory was able to grind out a solid win over Grove City in their previous meeting back in April, winning 8-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hornets since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
