Softball Game Preview: Crook County Cowboys vs. Gladstone Gladiators

For the second straight game, Crook County will face off against Gladstone. The Cowboys will be playing at home against the Gladiators on Monday. Crook County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.1 runs per game this season.

Crook County is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 17 runs on Wednesday, they were much more limited against Gladstone on Thursday. They fell just short of the Gladiators by a score of 3-1.

For Gladstone's part, Ashlynne Franssen made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 16 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Franssen has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double.

In other batting news, Caroline Ashby was excellent, going 3-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Maycee Terry, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.

Gladstone pushed their record up to 10-7 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Crook County, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 10-8 record this season.