The Chatham Central Bears are taking a road trip to face off against the Lee County Yellow Jackets at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Chatham Central has five straight victories, Lee County has four straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Tuesday, Chatham Central got the win against Northwood by a conclusive 13-1. The result was nothing new for the Bears, who have now won ten matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Maeson Smith made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Emma Burke, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Sallie Oldham was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Scotland hit Lee County with a eight-run fourth inning last Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Yellow Jackets lost 14-1 to the Fighting Scots.
Lee County saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cherish Smith, who went 2-for-3 with one run.
Chatham Central's win was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-2. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.5 runs over those games. As for Lee County, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-12.
Lee County's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Chatham Central has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .542. It's a different story for Lee County, though, as they've only averaged .343. Will they be able to contain Chatham Central's hitters?
Chatham Central took their win against Lee County in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 6-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bears since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
