The Hays Hawks will head out on the road to take on the Rouse Raiders at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Hays is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.7 runs per game this season.
Hays fell victim to Leander and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They came up short against the Lions, falling 13-0. Having soared to a lofty 15 runs in the game before, the Hawks' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Hays saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Hailey Ruiz, who went 1-for-4 with one triple.
Even though they lost, Hays hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most four strikeouts in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Rouse). They blew past Liberty Hill 19-5 on Friday. Winning may never get old, but the Raiders sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Rouse let Madilynn George and Eeva Chick run wild. George got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run, five RBI, and two runs, while Chick scored four runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Those four runs gave Chick a new career-high. Braelyn Hill was another key player, going 1-for-2 with three runs, one triple, and one RBI.
The defeat snapped Hays' winning streak at five games and leaves them with a 12-7 record. As for Rouse, their record now sits at 12-8-2.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Hays hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .349. However, it's not like Rouse struggles in that department as they've averaged .366. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hays couldn't quite get it done against Rouse in their previous matchup on March 7th as they fell 8-4. Can Hays avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
