Mercer is 2-8 against Wilmington since April of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Mustangs will be playing in front of their home fans against the Greyhounds at 4:15 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Mercer 2.4, Wilmington 3.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Mercer took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They walked away with an 8-4 win over Sharpsville. With that victory, the Mustangs brought their scoring average up to 6.3 runs per game.
Angelina Eakman made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off two hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three RBI.
Ainsley Baldwin
| 04/09/25 vs Sharpsville | 3 |
| 04/16/24 vs Farrell | 2 |
| 05/13/24 @ Farrell | 1 |
| 04/30/24 vs Wilmington | 1 |
| 04/10/24 @ West Middlesex | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ainsley Baldwin, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-3. Those three stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kailyn Adams, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Wilmington had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Hornets a 1-0 shutout. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Greyhounds have posted since May 2, 2024.
Wilmington's victory was truly a team effort as two different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Kyla Baney, who went 1-for-2 with one double.
Mercer has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-2 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games. As for Wilmington, their victory bumped their record up to 6-1.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Mercer hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. However, it's not like Wilmington struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.1 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Mercer skirted past Wilmington 7-5 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Do the Mustangs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Greyhounds turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
