The Knoxville Central Bobcats will head out to face off against the Grainger Grizzlies at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Knoxville Central's pitching crew has only allowed 3.7 runs per game this season, so Grainger's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Friday, Knoxville Central didn't have quite enough to beat Heritage and fell 7-6. The loss was the Bobcats' first of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Grainger). They put the hurt on Greeneville with a sharp 18-11 win on Thursday. Considering the Grizzlies have won four contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Grace Lincoln made a splash no matter where she played. She pitched four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jaylee Nickell, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Kaylee Sturgill was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4.
Grainger kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in five consecutive games.
Grainger has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-2 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. Knoxville Central's defeat dropped their record down to 5-1.
Knoxville Central came out on top in a nail-biter against Grainger in their previous meeting back in April of 2022, sneaking past 4-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for Knoxville Central since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
