Springfield is 0-9 against Holly since April of 2015 but things could change on Friday. The Longhorns will venture away from home to square off against the Wildcats at 4:00 p.m. Springfield has given up an average of 8.5 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Springfield lost 15-4 to Elkhart on Thursday. The Longhorns have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Carter Barnes made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
Meanwhile, Holly had already won nine in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.2 runs) and they went ahead and made it ten on Wednesday. They blew past the Panthers 13-2. The result was nothing new for the Wildcats, who have now won nine games by six runs or more so far this season.
Coy King made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. King was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. He is becoming a predictor of Holly's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 5-6 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Jerry Holdren was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one double. Those four hits gave him a new career-high.
Holly was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .552. They are 9-2 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Holly's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-6. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Springfield, their loss dropped their record down to 5-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Springfield has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Holly struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Springfield suffered a grim 17-5 defeat to Holly when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Longhorns avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
