The North Harrison Cougars will head out on the road to square off against the Eastern Musketeers at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. North Harrison will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
North Harrison had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the nine-run drubbing they dealt Providence on Monday. The Cougars were the clear victors by an 11-2 margin over the Pioneers. With that victory, the Cougars brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Bayley Myrick made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, North Harrison let Gabby White and London Wheeler run wild. White went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI, while Wheeler went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Grace Stevens, who went 1-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
North Harrison was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .438. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .387 or higher in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Eastern came up short against Lanesville on Monday and fell 6-3. The loss continues a trend for the Musketeers in their meetings with the Eagles: they've now lost eight in a row.
Eastern saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sidney Patton, who went 1-for-2 with two runs.
North Harrison's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-5. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.6 runs over those games. As for Eastern, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. North Harrison has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Eastern struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
North Harrison beat Eastern 6-2 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cougars since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
