The Firth Cougars will venture away from home to take on the Declo Hornets at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Firth has given up an average of 12.1 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Firth is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 13 runs on Tuesday, they were much more limited against Salmon on Thursday. They came up short against the Savages, falling 19-1.
Meg Leslie made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, one triple, and one run.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Declo). They never let West Side get on the board and left with a 17-0 victory on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Hornets, who have now won four matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Makendrie Harris made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with five RBI and one double. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Teagan Wickel and Saige Wickel did most of the damage at the plate: Teagan went 1-for-3 with three runs and two RBI, while Saige went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double. Saige is on a roll when it comes to RBI, as she's now brought in three or more in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Amerie Ewell, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Declo always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .656. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Declo's win ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-7. As for Firth, their loss dropped their record down to 4-10.
Firth came out on top in a nail-biter against Declo in their previous meeting on Friday, sneaking past 7-6. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cougars since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.