Softball Game Preview: Independence Patriots vs. Hoover Huskies

For the second straight game, Independence will face off against Hoover. The Patriots will venture away from home to challenge the Huskies at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Independence is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.1 runs per game this season.

Independence is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of West Virginia's top teams: Hoover, who was ranked 12th at the time (Independence was ranked 18th). The Patriots won by a run and slipped past the Huskies 6-5.

The team relied heavily on Kassidy Bradbury, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Emma Lilly, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.

Independence has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 24-10 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.4 runs on average over those games. As for Hoover, they dropped their record down to 22-7 with the defeat, which was their third straight on the road.