The Jackson City Tigers will challenge the Mountain Mission Challengers at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Jackson City is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.
Jackson City will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Thursday, then bounced right back against Phelps on Friday. The Tigers walked away with an 11-7 win over the Hornets.
Caige Ellis
| 04/01/25 vs Owsley County | 6 |
| 03/21/25 @ Breathitt County | 3 |
| 03/26/25 @ Buckhorn | 1 |
Caige Ellis was a major factor no matter where he played. He pitched 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Jackson City is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 8-9 otherwise. Ellis was even better at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, Jacob Morgan was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, four RBI, and one run. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March. Gavan Ritchie was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Jackson City always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .524. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Mountain Mission). They were the clear victors by a 16-5 margin over Phelps last Friday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Challengers.
Alexanda Nyakemori, Jr. made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four stolen bases, five RBI, and one triple. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other batting news, Elawi Dawit and Biruk Kifle did most of the damage at the plate: Dawit went 2-for-4 with four stolen bases, two runs, and one triple, while Kifle went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. With that strong performance, Dawit is now averaging an impressive 1.2 stolen bases per game. Another player making a difference was Ezekiel Peters, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Jackson City's victory was their seventh straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-9. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Mountain Mission, their record now sits at 6-4.
Saturday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Jackson City has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .446. However, it's not like Mountain Mission struggles in that department as they've averaged .469. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
