Softball Game Preview: Hackett Hornets vs. Prairie Grove Tigers

Hackett has won 18 straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Prairie Grove has won 18 straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Tuesday. The Hackett Hornets will welcome the Prairie Grove Tigers at 4:30 p.m. Prairie Grove took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Hackett, who comes in off a win.

On Monday, Hackett was able to grind out a solid win over Lavaca, taking the game 7-3. The victory continues a trend for the Hornets in their matchups with the Golden Arrows: they've now won five in a row.

Meanwhile, Prairie Grove faced Fayetteville in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Monday. Prairie Grove took a 33-29 hit to the loss column at the hands of Fayetteville. One positive for the Tigers, at least, is that this was the most points they've scored all season.

Prairie Grove got a massive performance out of Jill Emerson, who got on base in five of her seven plate appearances with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. That's the most runs Emerson has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Ivey Sparkman, who went 3-for-6 with one home run, six RBI, and four runs.

Even though they lost, Prairie Grove always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .638. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Prairie Grove's defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 7-3. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Hackett, their win bumped their record up to 9-0.

Hackett was able to grind out a solid victory over Prairie Grove in their previous matchup on Saturday, winning 5-1. Will Hackett repeat their success, or does Prairie Grove have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.