The Jackson Polar Bears will face off against the Austintown-Fitch Falcons at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Jackson is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
Jackson is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Findlay 6-5. Six seems to be a good number for the Polar Bears as the squad scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Courtney Helle spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and four unearned) runs on nine hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 15 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Gabbi Williamson was incredible, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs, one double, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Madi Moden, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI.
Jackson hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Austintown-Fitch came tearing into Friday's matchup with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Everything went their way against the Mustangs as they made off with a 10-0 win. That's two games straight that the Falcons have won by exactly ten runs.
The team relied heavily on Kaliana Ray, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and three doubles. What's more, she posted three RBI, the most she's had since back in April. Alyssa Rodgers was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run.
Jackson is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten games. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-7-1 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.9 runs on average over those games. As for Austintown-Fitch, they pushed their record up to 20-4 with the win, which was their third straight at home.
Wednesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Jackson hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .354. However, it's not like Austintown-Fitch struggles in that department as they've averaged .451. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Jackson's way against Austintown-Fitch in their previous matchup back in April of 2016, as Jackson made off with a 12-0 victory. Will the Polar Bears repeat their success, or do the Falcons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.