The Crab Orchard Trojans will challenge the Pope County Pirates at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Crab Orchard will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
On Monday, Crab Orchard made easy work of Hardin County and carried off an 11-1 win. The result was nothing new for the Trojans, who have now won 12 games by six runs or more so far this season.
Jada Burnett-Hatton spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on six hits and racked up 13 Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Kayden Glover, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Addlyn Miller, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, two doubles, and one stolen base.
Crab Orchard always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .556. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Pope County suffered their closest loss since April 22, 2024 on Friday. They fell just short of Galatia/Thompsonville by a score of 6-4. The defeat continues a trend for the Pirates in their meetings with the Bearcats: they've now lost three in a row.
Pope County saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Riley Presser, who went 2-for-3 with one run. Bella Fasolo was another, going 1-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Pope County's loss dropped their record down to 5-10. As for Crab Orchard, their victory bumped their record up to 19-1.
Pope County's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Crab Orchard has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.2 hits per game. It's a different story for Pope County, though, as they've been averaging 8.9 hits. Given Crab Orchard's sizable advantage in that area, the Pirates will need to find a way to close that gap.
Crab Orchard took their win against Pope County when the teams last played back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 12-2 score. Will the Trojans repeat their success, or do the Pirates have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
