The Herculaneum Black Cats will take on the Affton Cougars at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. Herculaneum is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.1 runs per game this season.
Herculaneum took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Hancock a 15-0 shutout. The high-scoring effort was just what the Black Cats needed considering they were shut out in their previous game.
Cheyenne Wood was a standout: she got on base in all three of her plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in September. Kiersten Pattison was another key player, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Herculaneum always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .714. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 16 runs the game before, Affton was a bit more limited in their contest on Thursday. They lost 11-2 to Bayless. The Cougars have struggled against the Bronchos recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
Aleigha Meyers put in work while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over 4.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and ten unearned) runs off five hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of her three plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
Meyers wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Hailey Cunningham, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI. Sydney Petrich also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
With the win, Herculaneum broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 5-9. As for Affton, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-12-1.
Affton's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Herculaneum hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .313. It's a different story for Affton, though, as they've only averaged .248. Will they be able to contain Herculaneum's hitters?
Everything went Herculaneum's way against Affton in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as Herculaneum made off with a 21-5 victory. Will the Black Cats repeat their success, or do the Cougars have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
