Softball Game Preview: Hooks Hornets vs. Queen City Bulldogs

The Hooks Hornets are taking a road trip to take on the Queen City Bulldogs at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Hooks is coming into the contest hot, having won their last five games.

Hooks proved they can win big on Friday (they won by 11) and on Tuesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They won by a run and slipped past De Kalb 5-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Hornets have posted since March 6th.

Darla Jones looked comfortable as she struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Anna Beth Black, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March of 2024. Zoey Greenwood was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2.

Meanwhile, Queen City came up short against De Kalb on Friday, falling 10-1. The Bulldogs have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Hooks pushed their record up to 15-5 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.7 runs over those games. As for Queen City, their loss dropped their record down to 5-11.

Everything went Hooks' way against Queen City when the teams last played on March 4th, as Hooks made off with a 22-2 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hooks since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.