The Pickerington Central Tigers will venture away from home to challenge the Marysville Monarchs at 5:15 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Thursday, Pickerington Central made easy work of Logan and carried off an 8-2 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Tigers.
Olivia Achtermann looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched.
At the plate, Sophia Kounouzvelis was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. Tisha Thompson was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs.
Pickerington Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Marysville came tearing into Thursday's match with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Celtics a 16-0 shutout. 16 seems to be a good number for the Monarchs as the squad scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Brooklyn Gamby made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over five innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three doubles, four RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Lexi Hakola and Jaidan Hutchins did most of the damage at the plate: Hakola went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and one RBI, while Hutchins went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Ella Wood, who went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Pickerington Central pushed their record up to 8-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.0 runs over those games. As for Marysville, their record now sits at 8-3-1.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Pickerington Central has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .455. However, it's not like Marysville struggles in that department as they've averaged .508. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pickerington Central suffered a grim 6-0 defeat to Marysville in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Can the Tigers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
