The Nordonia Knights will head out on the road to face off against the Hudson Explorers at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Nordonia is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
North Royalton hit Nordonia with a four-run fourth inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Knights came up short against the Bears, falling 10-2. The Knights have struggled against the Bears recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost meeting.
Nordonia saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Haydn Paul, who went 2-for-4 with one run.
Meanwhile, Hudson never let their opponents score on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 12-0 margin over Firestone. That 12 run margin sets a new team best for the Explorers this season.
Claire Eland was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run over 4.2 innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Hudson let Shawna Baylor and Corinne Stearns run wild. Baylor went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI, while Stearns went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Those three hits gave Baylor a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Gianna Pirtle, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Hudson lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Hudson has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a massive bump to their 4-12 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.5 runs on average over those games. As for Nordonia, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-10.
Hudson's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Nordonia has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.3 hits per game. It's a different story for Hudson, though, as they've been averaging 11.2 hits. Given Nordonia's sizable advantage in that area, the Explorers will need to find a way to close that gap.
Nordonia was able to grind out a solid win over Hudson when the teams last played back in April, winning 14-11. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
