The Madisonville-North Hopkins Maroons will venture away from home to square off against the Caldwell County Tigers at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Madisonville-North Hopkins has five straight victories, Caldwell County has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
If Madisonville-North Hopkins beats Caldwell County with nine runs on Thursday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. The Maroons put the hurt on Hopkins County Central with a sharp 9-0 win on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Maroons, who have now won eight matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Mackenzie Stoltz
| 04/22/25 vs Hopkins County Central | 2 |
| 04/19/25 vs Ohio County | 2 |
| 04/14/25 vs McCracken County | 2 |
Mackenzie Stoltz was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 14 over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, firing off two home runs and four RBI while going 2-for-4. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sadie Kirk, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run and four runs. That's the most runs she has posted over her last ten games. Another player making a difference was Nevaeh Lindle, who went 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Madisonville-North Hopkins hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Caldwell County has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 3.56 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Tuesday. They came up short against Graves County, falling 12-5. Tigers fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Eagles since on Tuesday.
Kaliana Bender made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one triple and one RBI. That triple was her first of the season.
Madisonville-North Hopkins' record now sits at 13-6. As for Caldwell County, their loss dropped their record down to 9-9.
Caldwell County's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Madisonville-North Hopkins has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.3 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Caldwell County, though, as they've been averaging only 2.6 strikeouts. Will Madisonville-North Hopkins keep running through batters, or will the Tigers buck the trend?
Madisonville-North Hopkins skirted past Caldwell County 6-5 when the teams last played back in March. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Maroons since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
