Softball Game Preview: Henry Clay Blue Devils vs. Rowan County Vikings

The Henry Clay Blue Devils will venture away from home to square off against the Rowan County Vikings at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.

Henry Clay is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 15 runs on Saturday, they were much more limited against Bryan Station on Monday. They took a 7-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Defenders.

Ella Smith spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and three unearned) runs on six hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in 14 consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Henry Clay saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jillian Franco, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.

Meanwhile, Rowan County didn't have quite enough to beat Woodford County on Wednesday and fell 5-4. The Vikings have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Kassi Perkins put in work while hitting and pitching. She struck out ten batters over six innings while giving up five earned runs off seven hits. Perkins was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double.

In other batting news, Malana Hamm made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.

Henry Clay's loss was their third straight at home, which dropped their record down to 7-12. As for Rowan County, their defeat dropped their record down to 18-5.