Huskies
| 04/23/25 vs Lincoln County | 6 |
| 04/22/25 vs Winfield | 0 |
| 04/21/25 @ Ripley | 11 |
| 04/19/25 vs George Washington | 8 |
| 04/18/25 @ Independence | 8 |
| + 14 more games |
Hoover has gone 8-2 against Nitro recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Huskies will look to defend their home field against the Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. Hoover is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
Hoover is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of West Virginia's top teams: Lincoln County, who was ranked 11th at the time (Hoover was ranked tenth). The Huskies came out on top against the Panthers by a score of 6-2 on Wednesday. The Huskies haven't had any issues with the Panthers recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Hannah Shamblin spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on 12 hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 16 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Elizabeth Turner was excellent, going 1-for-2 with one home run. Ayva Veltri was another key player, going 1-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Nitro, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Huntington with a sharp 17-9 win on Wednesday.
McKenzie Hyatt made a splash no matter where she played. She pitched six innings while giving up just two earned (and seven unearned) runs off ten hits. Hyatt was even better at the plate, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with four RBI, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season.
In other batting news, Nitro got a massive performance out of Lyndi Campbell, who went 2-for-4 with four runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple was Campbell's first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Madeline Given, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Nitro kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in seven consecutive matches.
Nitro's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-13. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.5 runs over those games. As for Hoover, their victory bumped their record up to 15-4.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Hoover hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .326. However, it's not like Nitro struggles in that department as they've averaged .346. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Hoover's way against Nitro in their previous meeting on April 1st, as Hoover made off with a 16-0 win. Will the Huskies repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
