The East Jackson Trojans will head out on the road to face off against the Columbia Central Golden Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. East Jackson has given up an average of 11.1 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Things were looking good for East Jackson after they put the first run on the board on Monday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They came up short against Manchester, falling 14-3. The Trojans haven't had much luck with the Flying Dutchmen recently, as the team has come up short the last four times they've met.
East Jackson saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kilah Boatright, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, Columbia Central is still undefeated this season after their match against Northwest on Tuesday, but Northwest came as close as anyone has to beating them. The Golden Eagles narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Mounties 4-2.
Hailey Wetherby spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on two hits and racked up 16 Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Kelsey Fausz was excellent, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Gianna Evans, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Columbia Central's victory was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-0. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for East Jackson, they now have a losing record of 3-4.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. East Jackson has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .447. However, it's not like Columbia Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .451. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
East Jackson might still be hurting after the 10-0 defeat they got from Columbia Central in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Trojans avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
