vs
| 04/16/24 - Away | 6-4 W |
| 03/22/24 - Home | 8-0 W |
| 04/18/23 - Home | 10-0 W |
| 03/24/23 - Away | 15-0 W |
| 04/18/19 - Away | 11-1 W |
| + 2 more games |
Orangefield has gone a perfect 7-0 against Hardin recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Bobcats will square off against the Hornets at 7:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Orangefield 2.7, Hardin 4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
It was a proper cat-fight when Orangefield challenged Buna on Friday. The Bobcats narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past the Cougars 7-5. With that win, the Bobcats brought their scoring average up to 6.1 runs per game.
Cole Sanches made a big impact no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run over 4.1 innings pitched. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (four). He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
In other pitching news, Raegan Valka looked comfortable as he pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Carson Worthy, who scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Ethan Sanders, who scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in two of his five plate appearances.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Hardin, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Warren 5-4.
Lleyton Berry spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered four runs (all of which were unearned) on five hits and racked up seven Ks.
At the plate, Hardin's victory was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Hunter Whitehead, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Parker Buffington also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Orangefield is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 13 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Hardin, they pushed their record up to 13-7 with the victory, which was their third straight at home.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Orangefield has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Hardin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Orangefield skirted past Hardin 6-4 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Do the Bobcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Hornets turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
