Softball Recap: Henry Clay Comes Up Short

Henry Clay had lost three straight at home, but on Monday they dropped their record down to 7-12 to make it four. They took a 7-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Bryan Station Defenders. Having soared to a lofty 15 runs in the game before, the Blue Devils couldn't push the score so high this time.

Ella Smith spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and three unearned) runs on six hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in 14 consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Henry Clay saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jillian Franco, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.

As for Bryan Station, the victory was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record up to 12-4. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.3 runs over those games.

On Bryan Station's side, they also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Karsyn Rockvoan gave up just two earned runs on four hits and racked up 16 Ks.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Tiahna Bowman, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Adrienn Arcure, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.

Looking ahead, Henry Clay will face off against Rowan County at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Bryan Station, they will challenge Scott County at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (the Defenders 1.9, the Cardinals 1.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.