Softball Recap: Crittenden County Comes Up Short

Crittenden County had lost five straight at home, but on Saturday they dropped their record down to 10-12 to make it six. They took a 9-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Madisonville-North Hopkins Maroons. The Rockets were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Maroons apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in April of 2024.

As for Madisonville-North Hopkins, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games.

For Madisonville-North Hopkins' part, Sadie Kirk made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over 6.2 innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). Kirk has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two runs.

In other batting news, Mackenzie Stoltz was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Maggie Killough, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.

Looking ahead, Crittenden County will square off against Webster County at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Madisonville-North Hopkins, they will be playing at home against Marshall County at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (the Maroons 3.7, the Marshals 3.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.