The Churchland Truckers are taking a road trip to challenge the Manor Mustangs at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Churchland will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.
While Churchland's win against Maury wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Truckers skirted past the Commodores 6-5.
Autumn Thompson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five runs (all of which were unearned) on four hits and racked up seven Ks.
At the plate, Churchland's victory was truly a team effort as seven different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Rori Thompson, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. That's the most hits Thompson has posted since back in May of 2024. Mahogany Trotter was another, going 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Manor never got on the board in their matchup on Monday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Booker T. Washington on Tuesday. They blew past the Mighty Bookers 20-4.
Kara Williams made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over five innings while giving up four earned runs off only one hit. Williams was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her five plate appearances with one home run, four stolen bases, and three runs. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games she's played.
In other batting news, Tiesha Cross was incredible, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with eight stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Laura DeJesus, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with five stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Manor has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 5-7-1 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.8 runs over those games. As for Churchland, they now have a winning record of 7-6.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Churchland has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .471. However, it's not like Manor struggles in that department as they've averaged .532. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Churchland's way against Manor in their previous matchup back in April, as Churchland made off with a 14-2 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Truckers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
