Hilliard is 1-9 against Baker County since February of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Red Flashes are taking a road trip to square off against the Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. Hilliard will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
While Hilliard's win against Union County wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Red Flashes sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-5 victory over the Fightin' Tigers on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Red Flashes have posted against the Fightin' Tigers since March 26, 2019.
The team relied heavily on Peighton Self, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season. Kierstin Northern was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Baker County took on Columbia on Thursday. The Wildcats were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over the Tigers. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Wildcats considering their one-run performance the matchup before.
Rylee Walker looked comfortable as she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Baleigh Shields and Nasia Green did most of the damage at the plate: Shields went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI, while Green went 2-for-3 with four RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI Green has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Keyla Nelson, who went 1-for-2 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Baker County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .593. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Baker County is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 11 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Hilliard, their record now sits at 6-12.
Hilliard couldn't quite get it done against Baker County in their previous matchup back in February as they fell 5-2. Can the Red Flashes avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
