Licking Heights is 1-9 against Watkins Memorial since May of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Hornets will welcome the Warriors at 5:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Watkins Memorial will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: Licking Heights extended their winning streak to three on Wednesday. Everything went the Hornets' way against Johnstown-Monroe as they made off with a 7-1 victory.
Alissa West
| 04/30/25 vs Johnstown-Monroe | 1 |
| 04/28/25 @ Zanesville | 1 |
| 04/23/25 @ Lakewood | 1 |
Alissa West and Lydia Rauch did most of the damage at the plate: West went 3-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base, while Rauch went 3-for-4 with three RBI. West 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. Another player making a difference was Lily Meidl, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Licking Heights was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .387. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Johnstown-Monroe only posted a batting average of .130.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Watkins Memorial, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They blew past Newark Catholic 8-1 on Wednesday. The win continues a trend for the Warriors in their matchups with the Green Wave: they've now won nine in a row.
Jacy Severance spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Gracie Gerhardt, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Carliee Taggart, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Watkins Memorial's victory bumped their record up to 12-7. As for Licking Heights, their win bumped their record up to 11-8.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Licking Heights hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .335. However, it's not like Watkins Memorial struggles in that department as they've averaged .319. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Licking Heights came out on top in a nail-biter against Watkins Memorial in their previous meeting back in April, sneaking past 7-6. Will the Hornets repeat their success, or do the Warriors have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
