The Baker County Wildcats will face off against the Oakleaf Knights at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Baker County 2.4, Oakleaf 4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Last Tuesday, Baker County earned a 9-4 victory over Trinity Catholic.
Rylee Walker made a splash no matter where she played. She pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off three hits. Walker was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
In other pitching news, Grace Masterson looked comfortable as she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Baker County got a massive performance out of Sadye Harvey, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and six RBI. Those six RBI gave Harvey a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Baleigh Shields, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3.
The home team had won the previous five meetings between Oakleaf and Ridgeview, and Oakleaf kept the tradition alive. Oakleaf put the hurt on Ridgeview with a sharp 13-3 win on Friday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Knights considering their two-run performance the matchup before.
Like Baker County, Oakleaf also got a great game from a two-way player: Charlotte Maddox. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, Maddox gave up only zero walks, the fewest she's had since back in May of 2024. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. That stolen base marked the first that she snagged this season.
In other batting news, Ava Tolbert was a standout: she scored three runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-2. Avery Garcia was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Oakleaf hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are 3-1 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Oakleaf now has a winning record of 6-5. As for Baker County, their victory bumped their record up to 8-2-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Baker County has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Oakleaf struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Baker County took their win against Oakleaf when the teams last played back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 7-0. Will Baker County repeat their success, or does Oakleaf has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
