Crab Orchard hasn't had much luck against Hamilton County recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Trojans will be taking part in a tournament against the Foxes at 9:00 a.m. Crab Orchard is coming into the contest hot, having won their last five games.
On Friday, Crab Orchard beat Tuscola 5-1.
Adri Ortega spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 14 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Payton Cook and Aubrey Holmes did most of the damage at the plate: Cook went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI, while Holmes went 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI. That's the most runs Cook has posted since back in April. Addlyn Miller was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run and one double.
Crab Orchard was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .407. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Tuscola only posted a batting average of .174.
Meanwhile, Hamilton County came up short against Flora last Thursday and fell 8-4.
Hamilton County saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Colebie Miller, who went 1-for-3 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI. Another was Saylor Brown, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
Crab Orchard pushed their record up to 24-2 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Hamilton County, their loss ended a six-game streak of away wins and brought them to 12-12.
Hamilton County's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Saturday. Crab Orchard has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.5 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Hamilton County, though, as they've been averaging only 3.4 strikeouts. Will Crab Orchard keep running through batters, or will the Foxes buck the trend?
Crab Orchard came out on top in a nail-biter against Hamilton County when the teams last played back in April, sneaking past 7-6. Do the Trojans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Foxes turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
