Leslie County is 0-10 against Hazard since May of 2019 but things could change on Monday. The Eagles will head out to square off against the Bulldogs / Lady Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with four defeats in a row, Leslie County turned things around against Owsley County on Thursday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Owls / Lady Owls a 15-0 shutout.
Emily Caldwell made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, earning one RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kaylee Wooton, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Maddi Coots, who went 1-for-2 with three runs and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Hazard had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.8 runs) and they went ahead and made it seven on Thursday. They walked away with an 8-5 victory over the Green Dragons. That's two games straight that the Bulldogs / Lady Bulldogs have won by exactly three runs.
Like Leslie County, Hazard also got a great game from a two-way player: Peyton Fields. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Fields was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
In other batting news, Hazard let Heidi Jones and Mallory Combs run wild. Jones went 3-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double, while Combs got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Braylynn Eddington, who went 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Hazard hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in three consecutive contests.
Leslie County's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-19. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games. As for Hazard, their record now sits at 17-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Leslie County has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Hazard struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Leslie County suffered a grim 10-4 defeat to Hazard in their previous matchup back in April. Can the Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
