The Cherryville Ironmen will face off against the Forestview Jaguars at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Forestview will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: Cherryville extended their winning streak to four on Tuesday. The Ironmen's pitcher stepped up to hand Burns a 12-0 shutout. The Ironmen might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine contests by eight runs or more this season.
Raylei Gidney was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over five innings pitched. Gidney was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one home run and four RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Cherryville got a massive performance out of Kate Mulvey, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Landyn McBride, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one double.
Cherryville always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .633. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Forestview earned an 11-7 win over South Point on Tuesday. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Jaguars' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Like Cherryville, Forestview also got a great game from a two-way player: Olivia Hensley. She struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up five earned (and two unearned) runs off 12 hits. Hensley has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 11 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Forestview let Kaitlyn Baker and Miley Skidmore run wild. Baker scored three runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3, while Skidmore scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Lily Cabe, who scored a run while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances.
Cherryville pushed their record up to 11-5 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games. As for Forestview, their victory bumped their record up to 7-9.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Cherryville hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .367. However, it's not like Forestview struggles in that department as they've averaged .313. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cherryville skirted past Forestview 8-7 when the teams last played back in March. Will the Ironmen repeat their success, or do the Jaguars have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
