The Larkin Royals will face off against the Jacobs Golden Eagles at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Jacobs took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Larkin, who comes in off a win.
Larkin will bounce into Tuesday's matchup after beating West Aurora, who they had gone 0-7 against in their seven prior meetings. The Royals sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 win over the Blackhawks on Monday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Royals have posted since March 18th.
Mackenzie Wemken spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ali Herrick, who went 3-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaitlyn Neubert, who went 2-for-3 with one run.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 13 runs the game before, Jacobs was a bit more limited in their contest on Monday. They lost 9-1 to Prairie Ridge. The Golden Eagles have struggled against the Wolves recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive lost meeting.
Molly Hoch made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with one home run.
Larkin's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-9. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. As for Jacobs, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-10.
Larkin's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's game. The Royals have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Jacobs, though, as they've been averaging only 0.8 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Larkin continue to outrun the ball?
Larkin came out on top in a nail-biter against Jacobs in their previous meeting back in April of 2022, sneaking past 3-2. Do the Royals have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Golden Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
