Softball Game Preview: West Lincoln Bears vs. Loyd Star Hornets

For the second straight game, West Lincoln will face off against Loyd Star. The Bears will be playing in front of their home fans against the Hornets at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. West Lincoln is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.4 runs per game this season.

On Tuesday, West Lincoln came up short against Loyd Star and fell 8-3.

For Loyd Star's part, Layla Burt was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits (and not a single walk). With that strong performance, Burt is now averaging an impressive 5.1 strikeouts per game. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one triple and one RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February.

In other batting news, Maddie Kate Britt was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Kenzie Kay Lofton, who went 2-for-3 with one triple and two RBI.

The win (which was Loyd Star's fifth in a row) raised their record to 14-4. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for West Lincoln, their loss dropped their record down to 7-13.