The A.J. Ellender Patriots will head out on the road to take on the Patterson Lumberjacks at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. A.J. Ellender has given up an average of 12.7 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
The home team had won the previous six meetings between A.J. Ellender and Morgan City, and Morgan City kept the tradition alive. The Patriots came up short against the Tigers on Thursday, falling 11-1.
Meanwhile, Patterson hadn't done well against St. James recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Lumberjacks came out on top against the Wildcats by a score of 11-8. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Lumberjacks considering their one-run performance the contest before.
Mia Knight made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over seven innings while giving up four earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jolie Thompson, who went 3-for-5 with one home run and six RBI. Those six RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jaselynn Haven, who went 4-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Patterson kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive matchups.
Patterson now has a winning record of 8-7. As for A.J. Ellender, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-10 record this season.
A.J. Ellender couldn't quite finish off Patterson in their previous matchup back in February of 2019 and fell 3-1. Can the Patriots avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
