Walnut Ridge hasn't had much luck against Tuckerman recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Bobcats will take on the Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Tuckerman will face off against a team with plenty of momentum: Walnut Ridge extended their winning streak to five on Thursday. The Bobcats' pitcher stepped up to hand Newport a 15-0 shutout.
Ashtyn Bradley
| 04/10/25 vs Newport | 3 |
| 04/08/25 @ Rivercrest | 2 |
| 04/01/25 vs Manila | 1 |
| 03/18/25 vs Hoxie | 1 |
| 03/13/25 @ Newport | 1 |
Ashtyn Bradley was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: 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 3-for-4 with one double and one RBI. Those three hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Walnut Ridge let Karlee Broadway and Chloe Newberry run wild. Broadway went 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base, while Newberry scored a run while going 3-for-3. The dominant performance also gave Newberry a new career-high in doubles (two). Whitley White was another key player, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.
Walnut Ridge hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Newport struck out nine times.
Meanwhile, Tuckerman put their dominant pitcher on display in the team's third consecutive shutout on Thursday. They put the hurt on Marshall with a sharp 10-0 win.
Maegan Richardson made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Richardson was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run and one double.
In other batting news, Tuckerman got a massive performance out of Ally Sampson, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Bristen Wheeler, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Tuckerman is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.4 runs on average over those games. As for Walnut Ridge, they pushed their record up to 10-3 with the win, which was their third straight at home.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Walnut Ridge hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. However, it's not like Tuckerman struggles in that department as they've averaged .409. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Walnut Ridge was able to grind out a solid victory over Tuckerman when the teams last played back in April of 2024, winning 10-6. Do the Bobcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bulldogs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
