The Barren County Trojans are taking a road trip to face off against the Larue County Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Barren County will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
Barren County barely beat Cumberland County the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Trojans put the hurt on the Panthers with a sharp 8-0 win on Wednesday. The Trojans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten matches by six runs or more this season.
Not much got past Shea Bogue, who gave up just five hits and racked up ten Ks to keep Cumberland County off the board.
On the hitting side, Barren County got a massive performance out of Norah Shirley, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and four RBI. That's the most RBI Shirley has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Gracie Myatt, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Barren County hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in nine consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Larue County entered their contest against Taylor County on Thursday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. The Hawks took a 5-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Cardinals. Having soared to a lofty 19 runs in the game before, the Hawks couldn't push the score so high this time.
Heidi Tipton put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over 5.2 innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 15 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one run and one double.
Tipton wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Isabelle Hayes, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Barren County's victory bumped their record up to 14-5. As for Larue County, the defeat was their first at home , dropping their record down to 20-4.
Barren County's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's match. The Trojans have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Larue County, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Barren County continue to outrun the ball?
Barren County beat Larue County 5-1 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Trojans since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
