For the first time this season, Ash Grove will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will be playing at home against the Skyline Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The timing is sure in Ash Grove's favor as the squad sits on 18 straight wins at home while Skyline has been banged up by three consecutive losses on the road.
On Tuesday, Ash Grove beat Lockwood 11-6.
Jaden Shorter made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over four innings while giving up three earned runs off three hits. Shorter was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Ty Messley was a standout: he got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI. Toby Barnes was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Ash Grove was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .414. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lockwood only posted a batting average of .240.
Meanwhile, Skyline didn't have quite enough to beat Conway on Monday and fell 3-1. That's two games in a row now that the Tigers have lost by exactly two runs.
Brigham Willis was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and one run.
Skyline's defeat dropped their record down to 15-12. As for Ash Grove, their win bumped their record up to 22-4-1.
Skyline's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Ash Grove hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .350. It's a different story for Skyline, though, as they've only averaged .232. Will they be able to contain Ash Grove's hitters?
Everything went Ash Grove's way against Skyline in their previous meeting back in May of 2025, as Ash Grove made off with a 13-0 victory. Will the Pirates repeat their success, or do the Tigers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
