Softball Game Preview: Harker Eagles vs. Independence 76ers

The Harker Eagles will venture away from home to challenge the Independence 76ers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Harker sitting on four straight wins and Independence on eight.

Harker's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed back in March. They were the clear victors by a 7-0 margin over Jefferson. Those seven runs were actually the fewest the Eagles have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.

Meanwhile, Independence hadn't done well against Overfelt recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The 76ers blew past the Royals 13-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the 76ers have posted against the Royals since April 10, 2018.

Ava Sanchez made a splash no matter where she played. She tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Sanchez was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.

In other batting news, Mackenzy Sauao was a standout: she scored two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. Kayla Shem was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.

Independence always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.

Independence's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-3. The team dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 10.8 runs. As for Harker, their record is now 5-1.