Pennington is 2-8 against Appalachian since February of 2020 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Tigers will challenge the Eagles at 11:00 a.m. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Pennington turned things around against Pisgah on Thursday. They blew past the Eagles 14-3. The Tigers not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since March 4th.
Connor Timmerman
| 04/03/25 vs Pisgah | 5 |
| 03/17/25 vs Holly Pond | 4 |
| 04/06/24 vs Locust Fork | 4 |
| 03/25/24 vs Elkmont | 4 |
| 03/14/24 @ Hanceville | 4 |
Connor Timmerman made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out six batters over 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He is becoming a predictor of Pennington's success: when he allows at most three hits the team is 5-1 (and 8-9 when he doesn't). Timmerman was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 5-for-5. Those five hits gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Grayson Chambers was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4. That's the most runs he has posted since back in February. Eli Butler was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-4.
Pennington kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Appalachian waltzed into their game on Thursday with seven straight wins... but they left with eight. They never let the Lions get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory. Give the Eagles' pitching crew some credit: that's the team's sixth straight shutout.
Caleb Conn was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over five innings pitched. Conn was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing two bases while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Camdyn Moore, who scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Levi Parrish, who scored two runs and stole a base.
Appalachian pushed their record up to 20-2 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Pennington, their record now sits at 13-10.
Saturday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Pennington hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .326. However, it's not like Appalachian struggles in that department as they've averaged .320. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pennington skirted past Appalachian 4-3 in their previous meeting back in February. Do the Tigers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
