The Montgomery County Wildcats will face off against the North Callaway Thunderbirds at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Montgomery County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.4 runs per game this season.
Fatima hit Montgomery County with a five-run fourth inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Wildcats took a 6-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Comets. It was the first time this season that the Wildcats let down their fans at home.
Addison Cannon spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and five unearned) runs on eight hits.
At the plate, Reese Hill made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with one triple and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, it was a Battle of the Birds when North Callaway took on Valley Park on Thursday. The Thunderbirds were the clear victors by an 8-1 margin over the Hawks. The Thunderbirds might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 13 games by six runs or more this season.
North Callaway also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Megan Schmidt gave up only one earned run on one hit and racked up 16 Ks. Schmidt has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 21 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Madyson Gordon was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Kendra Pennell was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one double and one RBI.
North Callaway is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 12 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 21-10 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Montgomery County, their loss dropped their record down to 14-3.
Monday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Montgomery County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .345. However, it's not like North Callaway struggles in that department as they've averaged .328. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Montgomery County skirted past North Callaway 7-6 in their previous meeting back in September. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Wildcats since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
