The Shadyside Tigers will be taking part in a tournament against the Hiland Hawks at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Shadyside fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Union Local on Monday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Jets by a score of 4-3.
Ariana Saxton
| 05/12/25 @ Union Local | 11 |
| 05/07/25 vs Shenandoah | 9 |
| 04/30/25 @ Martins Ferry | 12 |
| 04/24/25 @ Buckeye Local | 10 |
| 04/23/25 vs Monroe Central | 5 |
| + 8 more games |
Ariana Saxton was huge no matter where she played even without the win. She struck out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 13 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Saxton wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Isabells DeFelice, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI.
Meanwhile, Hiland got themselves on the board against Central Christian on Monday, but Central Christian never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over the Comets. The game marked the Hawks' most dominant win of the season.
Like Shadyside, Hiland also got a great game from a two-way player: Jalyn Immel. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Those seven strikeouts gave Immel a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tori Weaver, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, two stolen bases, and one triple. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Eloise Bickel, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Hiland was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .391. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Central Christian only posted a batting average of .059.
The victory made it two in a row for Hiland and bumps their season record up to 3-15. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Shadyside, their defeat was their fourth straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 12-12.
Hiland's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Shadyside has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.2 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Hiland, though, as they've been averaging only 4.1 strikeouts. Will Shadyside keep running through batters, or will the Hawks buck the trend?
Shadyside took their victory against Hiland when the teams last played back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 18-1 score. Will the Tigers repeat their success, or do the Hawks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
