Baker has won six straight games at home, while East Central has won six straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. Baker will host East Central at 7:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Baker 3.9, East Central 2.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
On Tuesday, Baker beat Bryant 6-1. The victory continues a trend for the Hornets in their matchups with the Hurricanes: they've now won three in a row.
Katlyn Cone spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on three hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Baker's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Nola Havard, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI. That's the most RBI Havard has posted over her last 13 matchups.
Meanwhile, East Central faced Caledonia in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Hornets blew past the Cavaliers 13-3. The result was nothing new for the Hornets, who have now won 12 games by six runs or more so far this season.
Abby Danis was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched five innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. Danis was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, Chloe Sheppard was incredible, scoring four runs while going 4-for-4. Another player making a difference was Breyona Tanner, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
East Central hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in 13 consecutive contests.
East Central is on a roll lately: they've won 15 of their last 16 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 21-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Baker, their win bumped their record up to 28-11.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Baker hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .339. However, it's not like East Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .345. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
