Ashford hasn't had much luck against Long recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Yellowjackets are taking a road trip to face off against the Rebels at 4:30 p.m. Long took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Ashford, who comes in off a win.
Ashford will bounce into Monday's game after beating Dale County, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Yellowjackets came out on top against the Warriors by a score of 6-2 on Thursday.
Olivia Dodson made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off six hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Briana Smith, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Ashford was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .379. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Dale County only posted a batting average of .200.
The scorekeeper got an easy start on Thursday as neither Long nor Houston Academy made it on the board until the sixth inning. The Rebels fell just short of the Raiders by a score of 12-11. That's two games in a row now that the Rebels have lost by just one run.
Kaylie Foster stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: she went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Kaylie Cordell, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Ashford now has a winning record of 10-9. As for Long, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-11.
Monday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Ashford hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .330. However, it's not like Long struggles in that department as they've averaged .355. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Ashford couldn't quite get it done against Long in their previous meeting back in March as they fell 10-6. Can the Yellowjackets avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
