Softball Game Preview: Hillsboro Tigers vs. Kickapoo Panthers

Hillsboro is a perfect 4-0 against Kickapoo since May of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Tigers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Panthers at 5:00 p.m. Hillsboro is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.9 runs per game this season.

It was a proper cat-fight when Hillsboro took on Royall on Monday. The Tigers put the hurt on the Panthers with a sharp 15-2 win. The Tigers haven't had any issues with the Panthers recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.

Halle Hora spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on three hits.

On the hitting side, Hillsboro let Madisyn Herritz and Michelyn Hansen run wild. Herritz went 4-for-5 with six RBI, three runs, and two doubles, while Hansen got on base in all five of her plate appearances with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. That's the most stolen bases Hansen has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Harper Sullivan, who went 3-for-5 with three RBI, one run, and one double.

Hillsboro was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .433. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .357 or higher in five consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, Kickapoo was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They lost 10-0 to Wauzeka-Steuben.

Hillsboro now has a winning record of 13-12. As for Kickapoo, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-12.

Hillsboro took their win against Kickapoo in their previous meeting back in April by a conclusive 25-15 score. Will the Tigers repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.