Straughn hasn't had much luck against Andalusia recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Tigers will welcome the Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. Straughn will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.
Straughn took a loss when they played away from home last Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They never let Pike County get on the board and left with an 8-0 victory. Considering the Tigers have won six contests by more than seven runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Julia Harold made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off six hits. Harold was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one triple and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Katelyn Ranta, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Jaycee Norton, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Straughn hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Pike County struck out eight times.
Meanwhile, Andalusia didn't have quite enough to beat Opp last Saturday and fell 2-1.
Andalusia saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Taya Newton, who went 1-for-3 with one triple and one RBI.
Straughn's win was their first in the region, bumping their region record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 10-9. As for Andalusia, their defeat dropped their record down to 16-6.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Straughn hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .325. However, it's not like Andalusia struggles in that department as they've averaged .315. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Straughn couldn't quite finish off Andalusia in their previous matchup back in March and fell 2-0. Will the Tigers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
