Fayetteville-Perry and Manchester are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2019, but likely not for long. The Rockets will take on the Greyhounds at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
On Wednesday, Fayetteville-Perry made easy work of Peebles and carried off a 10-3 win. The victory continues a trend for the Rockets in their matchups with the Indians: they've now won four in a row.
Victoria Thompson
| 04/16/25 vs Peebles | 2 |
| 04/12/25 vs Bethel-Tate | 2 |
| 04/12/25 vs Bethel-Tate | 1 |
Victoria Thompson was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up three earned runs off six hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Ryley Kleemeyer was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Lilly Carlier, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Manchester, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They never let Glenwood get on the board and left with a 22-0 win on Saturday. The result was nothing new for the Greyhounds, who have now won six matchups by 11 runs or more so far this season.
Like Fayetteville-Perry, Manchester also got a great game from a two-way player: Rylie Young. On the mound, she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Young was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-1.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Bristynn McClanahan, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Hayden King was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2.
Manchester's victory was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Fayetteville-Perry, the victory got them back to even at 5-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Fayetteville-Perry has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Manchester struggles in that department as they've been averaging 11.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Fayetteville-Perry skirted past Manchester 5-4 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rockets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
