The Harker Heights Knights will head out to take on the Copperas Cove Bulldawgs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Tuesday, everything went Harker Heights' way against Bryan as Harker Heights made off with a 17-2 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Knights.
Janelly Rios made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in February.
Alexis Newlin
| 03/11/25 vs Bryan | 3 |
| 02/17/25 @ Belton | 2 |
| 02/14/25 vs Ellison | 2 |
| 02/14/25 vs Bastrop | 2 |
| 03/07/25 @ Killeen | 1 |
In other batting news, Alexis Newlin was incredible, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in runs. Leila Osuna also deserves some recognition as she launched her first home run of the season.
Harker Heights hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most five strikeouts in seven consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Copperas Cove had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They put the hurt on the Vikings with a sharp 14-2 win.
Janell Gray spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up seven Ks.
At the plate, Copperas Cove got a big performance out of Isabella Hunt, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Laila LaCapra, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Harker Heights' record is now 16-5. As for Copperas Cove, their record is now 7-5.
Harker Heights' speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's contest. Harker Heights has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.9 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Copperas Cove, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Harker Heights continue to outrun the ball?
Harker Heights couldn't quite get it done against Copperas Cove in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 as they fell 9-6. Can Harker Heights avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
