Softball Game Preview: Hazard Bulldogs / Lady Bulldogs vs. Pineville Mountain Lions

The Hazard Bulldogs / Lady Bulldogs will square off against the Pineville Mountain Lions at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Hazard lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Knott County Central, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Thursday's contest. The Bulldogs / Lady Bulldogs were the clear victors by a 12-3 margin over the Patriots on Thursday. The win was nothing new for the Bulldogs / Lady Bulldogs as they're now sitting on four straight.

Peyton Fields was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out 11 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off one hit. Fields was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two runs and one stolen base.

In other batting news, Ragan Elkins was a standout: she went 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season. Halle Jones was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.

Hazard hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in six consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, Pineville got themselves on the board against Barbourville on Thursday, but Barbourville never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 12-0 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Mountain Lions.

Hazard pushed their record up to 9-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.5 runs over those games. As for Pineville, their win bumped their record up to 7-3.