Softball Game Preview: Clay County Tigers vs. Harlan County Black Bears

Tigers

Runs

03/28/25 vs Hazard	7
03/25/25 vs Whitley County	12
03/21/25 vs Whitley County	9
03/18/25 @ Southwestern	4

Clay County has gone 8-2 against Harlan County recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Tigers will look to defend their home field against the Black Bears at 6:00 p.m. Clay County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.4 runs per game this season.

Last Friday, Clay County came up short against Hazard and fell 10-7.

Emi Reynolds was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3. Holly Hacker also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.

Meanwhile, Harlan County gave up the first runs on Tuesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-4 victory over Knott County Central.

Aly Sherman was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. Sherman was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 3-for-5.

Sherman wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Aviya Halcomb, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.

Clay County now has a losing record of 2-3. As for Harlan County, they now have a winning record of 5-4.

Harlan County's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Clay County has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .445. It's a different story for Harlan County, though, as they've only averaged .361. Will they be able to contain Clay County's hitters?

Clay County took their win against Harlan County in their previous matchup back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 14-5 score. Will the Tigers repeat their success, or do the Black Bears have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.