The Jennings Bulldogs will take on the Merryville Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Jennings' pitching crew has only allowed 3.5 runs per game this season, so Merryville's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Jennings proved they can win big last Thursday (they won by 18) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against DeQuincy, sneaking past 4-3. Winning may never get old, but the Bulldogs sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Jenna Morvant spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on six hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Jennings let Madeleine Person and Kylie Price run wild. Person scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3, while Price scored a run while going 1-for-3. That stolen base marked the first that Person snagged this season. Another player making a difference was Ava Gary, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in both of her plate appearances.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Merryville). Their pitchers stepped up to hand Oberlin a 15-0 shutout on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won six matches by six runs or more so far this season.
B Stewart looked comfortable as she pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, Shaylee Lott was a standout: she scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-2. Paisley Burge was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing Three bases. while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Merryville always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .759. The last time their OBP was this high was since the start of last season.
Merryville has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a massive bump to their 7-6 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. Jennings' record now sits at 6-2.
Jennings took their win against Merryville in their previous meeting two weeks ago by a conclusive 12-2. Does Jennings have another victory up their sleeve, or will Merryville turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
