Softball Preview: Slippery Rock Rockets vs. Hickory Hornets
Slippery Rock is 2-8 against Hickory since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Slippery Rock Rockets will head out on the road to square off against the Hickory Hornets at 3:00 p.m.
Slippery Rock lost 13-4 to Jamestown on Thursday.
Ciana D'Antoni made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooke Balint, who scored a run and stole three bases while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, it may have taken nine innings to finish the job, but Hickory ultimately got the result they hoped for on Monday. They skirted past McDowell 4-2.
Lydia Hallas spent all nine innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on five hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Jordyn Hanzelka was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played.
Slippery Rock's defeat dropped their record down to 4-8. As for Hickory, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 8-6 record this season.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Tuesday. Slippery Rock hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Hickory struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.6. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Slippery Rock might still be hurting after the 14-2 loss they got from Hickory when the teams last played back in May of 2023. Can Slippery Rock avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
