Softball Game Preview: Lawrence County Bulldogs vs. Letcher County Central Cougars

The Lawrence County Bulldogs will head out to face off against the Letcher County Central Cougars at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Lawrence County's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Saturday. They were the clear victors by a 12-0 margin over Lewis County. The victory was familiar territory for the Bulldogs, who have now won three matchups in a row.

Letcher County Central never got on the board in their matchup on Tuesday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Harlan on Friday. They blew past the Green Dragons 11-4. The win continues a trend for the Cougars in their matchups with the Green Dragons: they've now won seven in a row.

Scarlett Stamper made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.

In other batting news, Katie Combs and Kara Holcomb did most of the damage at the plate: Combs went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run, while Holcomb went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and one double. That's the most hits Holcomb has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Emma Pavlik, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.

Letcher County Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Harlan only managed six hits.

Letcher County Central pushed their record up to 17-10 with the victory, which was their tenth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs over those games. As for Lawrence County, their record now sits at 17-7.

Lawrence County took their victory against Letcher County Central in their previous meeting back in March of 2022 by a conclusive 11-1 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bulldogs since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.