The Sherman Tide will challenge the Tug Valley Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Sherman is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
While Sherman's win against St. Joseph Central wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Tide skirted past the Irish 8-6. The Tide haven't had any issues with the Irish recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Emma Russell
| 05/06/25 vs St. Joseph Central | 7 |
| 05/02/25 vs St. Marys | 6 |
| 05/01/25 @ Van | 8 |
Emma Russell spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and three unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Carter Plantz was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, one triple, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Lexie Lowe, who went 3-for-4 with one run.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Sherman kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are 12-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Tug Valley had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Tuesday. They never let the Rebels get on the board and left with a 7-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won ten games by six runs or more so far this season.
Bailee Hall made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out nine over seven innings pitched. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.1 strikeouts per game. She was also big at the plate, firing off two home runs, three runs, and three RBI while going 3-for-4. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Emma Lackey, who went 2-for-3 with one home run. Katie Hall was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
Tug Valley pushed their record up to 19-9 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Sherman, their record is now 15-9.
Both Sherman and Tug Valley just can't seem to miss. The Tide have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.6 hits per game. However, it's not like Tug Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.5 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Sherman couldn't quite get it done against Tug Valley in their previous matchup two weeks ago as they fell 4-1. Can the Tide avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
