Softball Game Preview: Hickory Hornets vs. Ellwood City Wolverine

The Hickory Hornets will face off against the Ellwood City Wolverine at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Ellwood City took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Hickory, who comes in off a win.

Hickory lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Slippery Rock, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Thursday's game. The Hornets' pitcher stepped up to hand the Rockets a 10-0 shutout on Thursday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Hornets needed considering they were shut out in their previous contest.

AJ Jarzab was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up a single earned run in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.

In other batting news, Layla McClung was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. That home run was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Olivia Schneider, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.

Hickory kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.8 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matches they've averaged 8.8.

Meanwhile, Ellwood City suffered their closest defeat since May 7, 2024 on Tuesday. They fell just short of New Castle by a score of 8-6.

Hickory pushed their record up to 6-8 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.5 runs over those games. As for Ellwood City, their loss ended a four-game streak of away wins and brought them to 10-6.