The Paris Tigers will square off against the Cumberland Pirates at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Paris has three straight wins, Cumberland has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Paris proved they can win big on Wednesday (they won by 12) and on Thursday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against St. Thomas More, sneaking past 6-5. While the Tigers didn't have the best season last year (they finished 12-19), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Leah Sanders spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and four unearned) runs on six hits and racked up ten Ks. Those ten strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.
Kacey Wells
| 03/26/26 vs St. Thomas More | 2 |
| 03/18/26 @ Okaw Valley | 1 |
| 05/09/25 vs Villa Grove | 1 |
| 04/29/25 @ Hoopeston | 1 |
| 04/14/25 @ Mt. Carmel | 1 |
On the hitting side, Kacey Wells was excellent, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and two runs. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Morgan Coombes, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, while it was Cumberland who put the first runs on the board on Wednesday, it was Richland County who put up more. The Pirates lost 15-6 to the Tigers.
Ava Long made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double. That double was her first of the season. Ashton Tolen was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Cumberland's loss dropped their record down to 3-3. As for Paris, their victory bumped their record up to 5-2.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Paris hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .384. However, it's not like Cumberland struggles in that department as they've averaged .349. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Paris beat Cumberland 8-5 in their previous meeting back in May of 2025. Do the Tigers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Pirates turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
