The Hume Hornets are taking a road trip to square off against the Butler Bears at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Hume has given up an average of 9 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Hume is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Greenfield just ended the team's five-game winning streak on Monday. They fell just short of the Wildcats by a score of 15-13. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Hornets have suffered since March 28, 2024.
Kenzee Snider was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-5 with five runs, two stolen bases, and one triple. That triple was her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Khloe Hubbard, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last game, Butler made sure to put some runs up on the board against Midway on Monday. The Bears blew past the Vikings 15-0. Considering the Bears have won seven matches by more than nine runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Kylee Dubray made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Taylor Hudson and Brooke Miller did most of the damage at the plate: Hudson went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple, while Miller earned one RBI, three runs, and four stolen bases. Those four stolen bases gave Miller a new career-high. Kadyn Cook was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Butler always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .556. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Midway only posted an OBP of .000.
Butler pushed their record up to 11-8 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.7 runs on average over those games. As for Hume, their loss was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 8-2.
Both Hume and Butler just can't seem to miss. The Hornets have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.4 hits per game. However, it's not like Butler struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.2 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hume couldn't quite get it done against Butler when the teams last played back in April of 2018 as they fell 9-5. Can the Hornets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
