Softball Game Preview: McLean County Cougars vs. Hancock County Hornets

McLean County is 0-10 against Hancock County since March of 2019 but things could change on Thursday. McLean County will square off against Hancock County at 6:00 p.m. McLean County has given up an average of 10.5 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Things were looking good for McLean County after they put the first points on the board on Monday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They lost 17-2 to Ohio County. The Cougars have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

McLean County saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Shelby Rickard, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-2.

Meanwhile, Hancock County posted their closest victory since April 28, 2024 on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Trinity, sneaking past 10-9. Hancock County's win was all the more impressive since the Raiders were averaging only 3.2 runs allowed on the season.

The team relied heavily on Baylee Estes, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 4-for-4. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two). Madyson Higdon was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.

Hancock County pushed their record up to 1-1 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for McLean County, their loss dropped their record down to 0-3-1.

McLean County suffered a grim 19-4 defeat to Hancock County in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can McLean County avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.