Softball Preview: Crab Orchard Trojans vs. Hardin County Cougars
Crab Orchard is 7-2 against Hardin County since April of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Crab Orchard Trojans will head out on the road to challenge the Hardin County Cougars at 4:00 p.m. Crab Orchard is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.7 runs per game this season.
Crab Orchard will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Saturday, then bounced right back against Tuscola on Saturday. Crab Orchard came out on top against Tuscola by a score of 10-5. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for Crab Orchard's hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Jada Hatton spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on seven hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Crab Orchard let Halle Ashmore and Chelsi Miskelley loose on the outfield. Ashmore went 4-for-5 with five RBI, a stolen base, and a run, while Miskelley scored three runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Lexi Odle, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Hardin County didn't have quite enough to beat Norris City-Omaha-Enfield on Wednesday and fell 3-2. Hardin County has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Crab Orchard's victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 18-8. As for Hardin County, they now have a losing record at 7-8.
Everything went Crab Orchard's way against Hardin County in their previous matchup back in April as Crab Orchard made off with a 10-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Crab Orchard since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
