The Beckville Bearcats will challenge the Elysian Fields Yellowjackets at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Beckville has six straight victories, Elysian Fields has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Beckville's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They blew past Waskom 18-0. The result was nothing new for the Bearcats, who have now won 12 contests by eight runs or more so far this season.
Emily Grandgeorge made a splash no matter where she played. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Beckville got a massive performance out of Gracey Struwe, who scored four runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. What's more, Struwe posted three RBI, the most she's had since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Landrie Dennard, who scored three runs and stole four bases while going 2-for-3.
Beckville always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. They are a perfect 9-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Elysian Fields came up short against Union Grove on Friday and fell 15-11.
Like Beckville, Elysian Fields also got a great game from a two-way player: Layla Adkins. On the mound, she pitched five innings while giving up just two earned (and ten unearned) runs off eight hits. The dominant performance also gave Adkins a new career-low in walks (zero). She was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Madi Owens stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: she went 3-for-5 with four RBI, one run, and one double. Avery Woodley was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-5.
Beckville's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-7-2. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games. As for Elysian Fields, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-17.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Beckville has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .474. However, it's not like Elysian Fields struggles in that department as they've averaged .454. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Beckville took their win against Elysian Fields in their previous matchup back in February of 2024 by a conclusive 20-0. Will Beckville repeat their success, or does Elysian Fields has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
