Softball Recap: Howardsville Christian Comes Up Short

Howardsville Christian had lost seven straight on the road dating back to last season, but on Monday they dropped their record down to 1-10 to make it eight. They fell 8-4 to the Lawton Blue Devils. If the Eagles were looking for revenge after losing 6-5 to the Blue Devils when the teams met back in May of 2023, then they'll just have to keep looking.

As for Lawton, the victory was the third in a row for them, bringing their record up to 5-10. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.7 runs over those games.

For Lawton's part, Aubri Conklin and Allison Murphy made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Conklin struck out seven batters over 4.2 innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. Meanwhile, Murphy tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. At the plate, Conklin went 3-for-4 with two runs, while Murphy went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

In other batting news, Paityn Beam and Lily McCory did most of the damage at the plate: Beam went a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run, while McCory went a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. That's the most hits Beam has posted over her last ten matches. The team also got some help courtesy of Gia Bridges, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Howardsville Christian will take on Our Lady of the Lake Catholic at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Lawton, they will face off against Schoolcraft at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Eagles have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 12.65 runs per game on average), something the Blue Devils will no doubt try to take advantage of.